Pathankot attacker wanted a feast for friends after death

NEW DELHI: Throw a dawat for my friends after my death – this was the last conversation that a perpetrator of Pathankot terrorist attack had with his mother after infiltrating the airbase and killing two persons.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheet in the Pathankot airbase attack, filed in a Panchkular special court on Monday, gives details of how a terrorist spoke to his mother for 18 minutes while hiding inside the Air Force station on January 1morning.

The terrorist, identified as Nasir, called a mobile number and asked the person to take the phone to his mother.

While hiding at the base, he spoke to his mother and informed her that they had infiltrated into the Indian territory on December 30 and he had killed two persons. Nasir, according to the chargesheet, told his mother to record the conversation on the mobile set.

He told her that “Ustad” would come to her with his will after his death and she should host a feast for his “Derawala friends”.

The NIA has named Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar for masterminding the terror attack, Azhar’s brother Abdul Rauf Asghar and two handlers — Shahid Latif and Kashif Jan. In the chargesheet, they have been charged for offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

The chargesheet states that the same offences were also established against the attackers from the JeM — Nasir Hussain, Hafiz Abu Bakar, Umar Farooq and Abdul Qayum — who executed the terror attack at the airbase.

Pakistan, despite repeated reminders through the external affairs ministry, has not provided any evidence in the Pathankot attack and has also remained silent on allowing an NIA team to visit. It hasn’t given access to Azhar and other suspects either.

The NIA had technical and forensic evidence pointing to involvement of Pakistan-based perpetrators in the deadly attack. The US also provided crucial evidence in the form of chats and email conversations of JeM members to the agency.