Pathankot strike: Intelligence agencies intercepted four calls, including one to a terrorist’s mother

NEW DELHI: The JeM fidayeen were in touch not only with their Pakistan-based handlers ahead of the Pathankot attack but one of them even took out time to contact his mother. "I am on a suicide mission," he repeated twice before telling her that "Allah will take care of all of us". Strangely , his mother ended the 70second call, made around 1.58 am, by asking her son to eat before laying down his life.

The other three calls were purely business. All conversations intercepted by Indian intelligence agencies, were in Punjabi laced with a distinct Multani dialect. The first, at 12.30 am, lasted 55 seconds. The second was made at around 12.52 am and lasted 32 seconds. The third, the longest at 87 seconds, was made at 1.10 am. "Control me hai?" asked a man on the other side. "Haan," one terrorist replied. The handler can then be heard asking the terrorists to "enter target". "Helicopters aur planes ko uda do(Blow up the choppers and planes)," he orders them. "Use samjhao, hame fikr hai," he adds. Agencies are trying to decipher this statement.

Times View

To call off the proposed talks with Pakistan because of this attack would be a mistake. It is no secret that there is a string section within the Pakistani 'deep state' that is hostile to the idea of peace with India. If India responds to every terrorist attack on its soil launched from within Pakistan by putting the process of talks on hold, it would play into the hands of these elements. It makes more sense to strengthen the hands of pro-peace elements in Pakistan, including the civilian government, by staying engaged. On its part, the Pakistani government must show real intent in curbing the use of its territory for attacks on India.