SP Salwinder Singh. AFP file photo

Shaurya Karanbir Gurung

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 31

The Pakistan Joint Investigation Team (JIT), which is in India to probe the Pathankot air base attack, has admitted that the attackers were Pakistanis and that “there is a Pakistan link to the attack,” a National Investigation Agency (NIA) officer said here today.He said the two agencies agreed on those responsible for planning and orchestrating the attack. Asked if the JIT had claimed that there was not enough evidence to link Maulana Masood Azhar, head of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), to the Pathankot attack, the officer said: ” It is incorrect to say so.”It is the first time that a Pakistan investigation team is in India to probe a terrorist attack. After the 26/11 carnage, only a Pakistan judicial commission had arrived in India to probe the attack.The NIA officer said as per the terms of reference based on reciprocity, 13 witnesses were examined again by the JIT regarding the Pathankot attack. Among them were Punjab SP Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and his cook Madan Gopal. The three were allegedly kidnapped by terrorists on the intervening night of December 31, 2015, and January 1 this year who later attacked the Pathankot air base.The NIA said the process of sharing evidence began yesterday. Today, the NIA handed over the Pak team some important documents. “The documents include the postmortem reports of the terrorists, their DNA reports, details of the arms and ammunition used by them (that had Pakistan markings) and details of the calls made to Pakistan before the attack,” said another NIA officer.”As per the agreed terms of reference of the two governments, we have provided the JIT with evidence for prosecuting those responsible for the attack,” he said. “For this to happen, the JIT has to establish its case, including the fact that the terrorists came from Pakistan, in their court of law. And in the court of law, evidences such as the autopsy reports of the terrorists have to be given,” the officer said.