Pakistan hiding information by blocking access to Balakot bombing site: India

Citing “security concerns”, Pakistani security officials on Thursday barred a Reuters team from climbing a hill in northeastern Pakistan to the site of a madrasa, or religious school, and a group of surrounding buildings that was targeted by Indian warplanes last week.

“The fact that Pakistan has now refused access to journalists from visiting the site means that they have plenty to hide,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar told reporters.

He reiterated the government’s stand that India’s air strikes were “successful and achieved the desired objectives”, after being asked about a Reuters report that said high-resolution satellite images reviewed by Reuters showed that the madrasa appeared to be still standing.

India’s Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said on the day of the strike that it had killed “a very large number of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists, trainers, senior commanders, and groups of jihadis” at the alleged training camp.

The Pakistani security officials guarding the way to the site cited “security concerns” for denying access. They stuck to the Pakistani government’s position ever since the Indian attack on Feb. 26 that no damage was caused to any buildings and there was no loss of life.

In Islamabad, the military’s press wing has twice called off visits to the site for weather and organisational reasons and an official said no visit would be possible for a few days more due to security issues