Work fast on leads given by India: Sharif

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting and discussed the Pathankot terror attack as he directed officials to speed up work on the leads given by India, sources said. “Issues pertaining to national and regional security were discussed during the meeting,” the Prime Minister’s Office here said in a brief statement. 

The meeting was attended by Ishaq Dar, Minister for Finance; Nisar Ali Khan, Minister for Interior; Sartaj Aziz, Advisor on Foreign Affairs; Lt Gen (Retd) Nasser Khan Janjua, National Security Advisor; Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Foreign Secretary; Aftab Sultan, chief of Intelligence Bureau and other officials. A source privy to the details said that the meeting discussed the Pathankot attack and the information shared so far by India. “The meeting decided to speed up work on the leads given by India,” he said on anonymity. 

The meeting came as India said it is waiting for “prompt and decisive action” as promised by Sharif to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a telephone call on Tuesday. India has provided “specific and actionable information in this regard” to Pakistan. 

Bodies of militants sent for post mortem 

Meanwhile, the bodies of four militants gunned down in encounter with security forces during the terror attack on the country’s strategic air base here were sent for post mortem examination. In all six militants were killed in the attack which started in the wee hours of January 2. While the bodies of four were found to be intact, the remaining two were blown into pieces. 

Security officials said that the combing operations will continue at the forward base. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has already clarified that there “is no suspected terrorist inside right now. (still) I will not give a negative report till the combing operations are over.”