Pakistan registers FIR against Pathankot airbase attack

Islamabad, Feb 19 A Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of the police in Pakistan's Punjab province on Friday registered a First-Information Report (FIR) against the alleged attackers of the Pathankot airbase in India, a media report said.

The FIR, number 06/2016, was registered in the CTD police station Gujranwala town.

Sources said the case was lodged against unknown terrorists on the plea of Deputy Home Secretary Aitzaz-ud-Din, The News International reported.

Murder, attempt to murder and terror charges have been included in the case.

The attack occurred on January 2, when a heavily armed group attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force. A total of 14 people were killed - six attackers, seven security personnel and one civilian. 

A special investigation team formed by Pakistan to investigate the Pathankot incident has formally recommended to the federal government to lodge an FIR on the basis of the information provided to the National Security Adviser Nasser Khan Janjua by his Indian counterpart Ajit.

The interior ministry, on its notification issued on January 13, 2016, had constituted a six-member team. The team was headed by a convener named Rai Tahir, a reputed chief of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Punjab Police.

According to a document, the team held its three meetings in which the information provided by the Indian side was evaluated and partially confirmed the Indian version of the incident.

The sources claimed that the team has yet not interrogated the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar, who was taken into informal “protective custody” without any legal formality.

It claimed that Janjua is constantly in contact with his Indian counterpart on the developments regarding the ongoing investigations. 

However, it is yet not clear if the Indian side has been communicated about the possibility of the registration of an FIR.