Pathankot attack: Pakistan JIT can only access attack site, not entire airbase, says NIA

Washing his hands off the controversy over a Pakistani Joint Investigation Team’s visit to the Pathankot airbase, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said the “crime scene” is under the control of NIA and it is up to the agency to decide who to allow there or not. However, the NIA has said JIT will only visit the crime scene but not the entire air base.   

Noting that no permission has been given by the Defence Ministry for entry into the airbase, he said that the “crime scene”, a “non-sensitive” area, has been completely barricaded, including visually, on his orders and no defence asset would be used to facilitate the visit of the Pakistani team.

“However, an area where the actual crime had taken place had been handed over to NIA long back which is conducting the entire investigation. Who will be taken there, who will probe, depends on the decision of NIA,” Parrikar said replying to questions here on the sidelines of Defexpo.

“We have specifically refused them permission to go anywhere in the airbase,” he said.

He said that as far as the Defence Ministry is concerned, they have issued clear directions that the “crime scene” should be barricaded—visually blocked or obstructed—and that external entry should be given to NIA.

The minister said he had issued the instructions  following media reports. “Whom to bring, when to bring is their responsibility till they complete the investigation,” he said.

“If I don’t permit them this crime investigation freedom, then the crime investigation failure would be blamed on the Defence Ministry. We have isolated the area completely,” he said.

Parrikar, who had earlier publicly spoken against the planned visit of the Pakistani team to the Pathankot airbase, said the crime scene was least sensitive and non-functional area except for a hostel for foreign cadres and mess.

“This area is isolated and taken out from airbase till the investigation is completed. Permission to land at airbase has been refused, permission to use any of the defence instruments like vehicles has been refused. Permission to speak to any defence personnel has been refused,” he said, adding these questions should be directed to NIA.