 "Hope brightens for Indo-Pak Jan 15 talks after arrest of some Pathankot suspects")
The January 15 India-Pakistan foreign secretary level talks seemed on track after Pakistan made some arrests related to the Pathankot air base terror attack.
The Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also ordered the setting up of a high-profile joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate the leads given by India that allegedly link the Pathankot air base attackers with Pakistan. The decision to set up the JIT was taken at a meeting chaired by Sharif. Reports quoted unnamed sources in the Pakistan government who claimed that the Army was on board Sharif’s decision.
Pakistani security agencies raided places in Gujranwala, Jhelum and Bahawalpur districts and an unspecified number of people were arrested. The JIT comprises Intelligence Bureau, Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, Federal Investigation Agency and Police.
Earlier in the day National Security Adviser (NSA) of India Ajit Kumar Doval denied that he had told a website that the talks have been called off. The website had quoted Doval as having said that the January 15 talks were off as Islamabad had failed to take decisive action against those behind the Pathankot terror attack.
In New Delhi, sources said India viewed action by Pakistan positively but was awaiting the details of the raids. It, however, looked likelier that Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar will be travelling to Islamabad on January 15 to hold talks with his Pakistan counterpart to discuss the modalities of the ‘comprehensive bilateral dialogue’.
But Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said that any individual or organisation causing pain to India should be paid back in the same coin but how, when and where "should be of our choice". Addressing an audience which consisted of top brass of the Army, including its Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, Parrikar said: "Basic principle is that until we give them pain, whoever they may be, until then, such incidents will not reduce".
Without referring to the Pathankot attack, the Minister said the country was proud of its seven soldiers who laid down their lives but he is pained by the loss. "We should tell them (Indian soldiers) to think of the concept of taking life of your enemy, enemy of the country, instead of giving your life. This is an important aspect," he said.
In a related development, Punjab Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, who was allegedly abducted by terrorists involved in the Pathankot attack, today appeared before the National Investigation Agency here for questioning in connection with the terror strike.
