The Indian Ex Servicemen League today demanded to set up a National Commission of Inquiry into the terror attack on IAF base in Pathankot.
Maj Vijay Singh Mankotia (retd), state chief of Indian Ex Servicemen League said that the league shall soon submit a memorandum in this regard to the President.
"The incident seems to be a total failure of the intelligence of Centre and Punjab government and that of the defence forces, that the terrorist made a safe 24 hours hide within the premises of the air base," he told reporters here.
Mankotia said that the role of Gurdaspur SP in the dastardly attack should also be investigated.
"Otherwise it shall be assumed that the Centre, defence ministry and the Punjab government, allare responsible for the loss of7 defence personnels in the attack," he said.
The state chief said that the attack has brought to the fore many loopholes in the security system of the country.
He blamed the agencies for keeping re-employed Defence Security Corps (DSC) men in front and not bringing trained commandosfor flushing out operation in time, resulting in the death of seven defence personnel.
Mankotia pointed out that in the post-independence period, Himachal Pradesh has lost 1,148 soldiers in various terror attacks, a leading number among small states.
He said that two of the defence personnels, who laid down their lives in the Pathankot attack, were from Kangra district in the state.
"The Centre has done nothing for the livelihood of these soldiers' children," he alleged.
The IAF base at Pathankot was attacked by six terrorists, stated to be from Pakistan, last week. The fierce battle that ensued between the militants and the defence personnel continued for four days, leaving seven security men dead. All the six terrorists were killed in the operation.
On being asked about the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match to be organized here in March, Mankotia said, "Matches could be staged but not of India-Pakistan in Dharamsala, that too when two martyrs of Pathankot attack are from villages near the stadium."
He added that it was really surprising to know that the organizers were even willing to call Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif for the match.
