India should allow Pakistan to probe Pathankot

Pakistan's proposal to send a special team to Pathankot to assist Indian investigators probing the attack by Pakistan-based terrorists should be welcomed by India. New Delhi should waste no time in extending an invitation to Pakistani probe agencies. Officials in the security establishment believe mistakes that were made during the 26/11 probe should not be repeated. Giving access to Pakistani investigating agencies will put added pressure on them to come out with concrete facts and act against perpetrators of the Pathankot attack.

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While Pakistan by detaining and questioning Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar is trying to send a strong message that it is investigating the matter based on information provided by India, it is still too early to hail it as some sort of a victory for the Narendra Modi government. This kind of symbolism is not new to Pakistan. Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was also arrested for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, but after several flip-flops he was released on bail since the prosecution failed to put up a strong case. The justification given by Pakistan for a weak case was - India did not provide enough material.

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Keeping in mind this track record, India needs to ensure that the action continues. Those responsible for Pathankot are prosecuted and the investigations are taken to a logical conclusion. If that means allowing a Pakistani team in, so be it. If after getting access to witnesses and all forensic and technical evidences, Pakistan still fails to act, Delhi will be in a better position to expose Islamabad's doublespeak. 

(Courtesy of Mail Today.)