Pathankot terror attack: No permission to Pakistan JIT for airbase; can only access attack sites, clarifies Manohar Parrikar

New Delhi: In a major development in Pathankot terror attack, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday clarified that Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team (JIT) won't get access to the entire Pathankot airbase.

"We have specially denied them (Pakistan's JIT) permission to go anywhere in the airbase," Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said.

"They (JIT officials) are only allowed access to the place where crime took place; the area is cordoned off and NIA is investigating the case," Manohar Parrikar added.

India and Pakistan on Monday began formal discussions on investigations into the terror attack at the Pathankot IAF base, making it the first-ever visit of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from the neighbouring country that included an ISI official.

The five-member Pakistani JIT is headed by Chief of Punjab's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Muhammad Tahir Rai and comprises Lahore's Deputy Director General, Intelligence Bureau, Mohammad Azim Arshad, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) official Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence official Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujaranwala CTD Investigating Officer, Shahid Tanveer.

The team was received at the headquarters of National Investigation Agency by Inspector General Sanjiv Kumar Singh.

They are being given a detailed presentation on the probe done by Indian agencies so far and evidences that show that the attack was planned in Pakistan, official sources said.

The team, which arrived on Sunday, will on Tuesday visit Pathankot for the probe into the attack carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group on January 2, which left seven security personnel dead.