Pathankot attack: India puts Foreign Secretary-level talks on hold, asks Pakistan to act on evidence

Toughening stand against Pakistan in the wake of the Pathankot terror attack, India has decided to put the Foreign Secretary-level talks on hold till the time action is taken by Pakistan against the perpetrators.

India has also shared a fresh set of evidence, against the handlers - Ashfaq Ahmad, Hafiz Abdul Shakur and Kasim Jaan - who are believed to have been giving instructions to the terrorists who carried out the attack in Pathankot. Sources said, Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother Rauf, and two others identified by India as 'handlers' behind Pathankot terror attack.

The new evidence shared with the Pakistan National Security Advisor (NSA) includes transcript and picture of Markaz where all planning was done. NSA Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart (Retd) Army General Naseer Khan Janjua have spoken at least thrice after these attacks.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said the ball is now in Pakistan's court and India is waiting for Nawaz Sharif government to deliver on its promise of prompt and decisive action against the perpetrators of the Pathankot terror attack.

"The terrorist attack on Pathankot airbase has once again put renewed focus on the challenge posed by cross border terrorism. The ball is in now Pakistan's court. The immediate issue in front of us is Pakistan's response to the terrorist attack," the MEA said.

According to earlier reports, India wanted the the NSAs of the two countries to meet before Foreign Secretary-level talks are held. Foreign Secretary-level talks are scheduled to be held on January 14-15 in Islamabad.

India had earlier shared a dossier with Pakistan which contains proofs of terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's involvement in the attack. According to sources, one set of evidence shared with Pakistan includes call records from Bahawalpur. The dossier also includes the locations and addresses from where the calls originated.

Based on the given evidence, India wants to increase pressure on Pakistan so that they act against the top brass of JeM which is believed to be behind the attack. India has urged for timely action against JeM to ensure the arrest of the leaders of the terror outfit including their mentor Maulana Mazoor Azhar.

A group of terrorists stormed the Pathankot Airbase around 3:30 AM on January 2. Seven security officers were martyred in the attack and 6 terrorists were gunned down.

(With inputs from PTI)