NIA sends formal request' to visit Pak for Pathankot probe

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has for the first time sent a ‘formal request’ to Islamabad for permission to visit Pakistan to carry forward its probe into the January Pathankot airbase attack carried out by Pak-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

According to a report in The Indian Express, the NIA was prompted to take this step after Pakistan failed to send any reply to the Letters Rogatory sent to Islamabad.

NIA sources revealed to the newspaper that the agency has sent a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs and they would forward it to Pakistani authorities.

Read: Pathankot probe: India will send NIA to Pak at an appropriate time, says MEA

The investigating agency wants to record statements of chief accused and JeM chief Masood Azhar, his brother brother Abdul Rauf, and Shahid Latif and Kashif Jaan who are the alleged handlers of the Pathankot terrorists.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) last month said that an Indian team would be sent to Pakistan at ‘an appropriate’ time without giving any timeline for such a visit.

The Centre had asserted that the visit of Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in Pathankot terror attack probe case was on the basis of reciprocity and government is in touch with the authorities of the country on the matter.

Read: Pathankot probe: Pak JIT winds up probe in India

The Pakistani team, headed by Additional Inspector General of Police, Counter Terrorism Department, Muhammad Tahir Rai and including ISI's Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed had visited India in March to carry their probe into the terror attack.

The team arrived in India on March 27. They recorded statements of 16 witnesses, including Superintendent of Police-rank officer of Punjab Salwinder Singh, his jeweller-friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal.

The three were kidnapped by the Pathankot attack perpetrators belonging to the JeM on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1.