NIA chief's statement on Pathankot an unwanted controversy

New Delhi, June 4: Has the entire issue regarding the statement issued by the NIA chief, Sharad Kumar been blown out of proportion. The NIA chief had told a television channel that the agency was yet to find evidence against the Pakistan establishment in the Pathankot attack.

The NIA later issued another statement saying that the chief was misquoted. In the first place there was no need for such a debate on this issue.

Kumar informed that he said he had given the evidence against the Jaish-e-Mohammad to Pakistan. Further the MEA too issued a statement stating that the involvement of Pakistan nationals in the attack is an accepted fact.

Unwanted controversy:
In the first place this is an unwanted controversy. Let us date back to the 26/11 Mumbai attack.

In the first few hours all of us knew that the attack was staged by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. When the probe began the focus was the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and it was the captured terrorist Ajmal Kasab who said it all.

The fact is that the Mumbai crime branch which probed the case got nothing from Kasab about the involvement of the Pakistan establishment. Kasab was too small a fry or rather a remote controlled operative who did what he was told with the promise he will get 72 virgins in heaven.

It was only when the probe went further and David Headley came into the picture did the involvement of the establishment become clear.

In this context one must note that even in the Pathankot attack, the NIA has not given the Pakistan establishment a clean chit.

The probe is still underway and normally an investigating agency takes it one thing at a time. The NIA's probe is at a very preliminary stage today. It has just about gathered evidence from Pathankot. The same has been shared with Pakistan and the NIA is still awaiting a response.

One would have to wait and see what information Pakistan shares with India. If the complicity continues then it would be safe to say that there is a hand of the establishment.

Once Pakistan shares information, the NIA will probe further. The role of the establishment is very much on the radar of the NIA an officer with the agency says.
We want to take one thing at a time and at this juncture, Pakistan's cooperation is absolutely necessary.

If we begin hurling allegations at the establishment without any proof then the entire narrative would change and the probe would be derailed.

OneIndia News