Pathankot strike: Pakistan may delay SIT visit, would wait for NIA to complete probe

NEW DELHI: Pakistan may delay the visit of its Special Investigation Team ( SIT) to India to seek information on the terror attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot and could rather wait for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to complete its probe into the incident.

Islamabad is understood to have conveyed to Delhi that it would rather wait for NIA to conclude the probe before sending its own team. Authoritative sources informed that Pakistan could delay the visit of its SIT to India after Delhi has virtually made it clear that they would not be given access to the the IAF base.

Follow @ETDefence Twitter handle for comprehensive coverage on other buzzing Defence stories

The Pakistani team is now expected to visit Delhi only after conclusion of the probe by the NIA. They would hold meetings with the NIA team and may discuss steps for cooperation to bring to book perpetrators of the attack in Pakistan besides exchanging information and evidence, sources informed.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is in regular touch with his counterpart Naseer Khan Janjua to finalise the "Terms of Reference" of Pakistani probe team’s visit to India. "We hope that Pakistan will probe, may be because of pressure on it from the international community. The SIT (from Pakistan), however, will not be allowed to enter the airbase," Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State for Defence, had said on Tuesday.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, too, last Saturday hinted Delhi’s reluctance to allow the Pakistani SIT to visit the military facility in Pathankot, as it was a forward airbase, where the IAF had stationed its "strategic assets".

Islamabad had earlier informed Delhi that its probe team should ideally be allowed to visit the air base as it is necessary for gathering information for building up a strong case in the court against the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror operatives, who were arrested in Pakistan in connection with the Pathankot incident.

Welcoming Pakistan crackdown against Jaish operatives following leads by India Delhi last week agreed to host the Pakistani SIT.