ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has told India that Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Maulana Masood Azhar cannot be named in the Pathankot case unless New Delhi provided compelling evidence of his involvement, The Nation learnt.
A senior government official told The Nation, there was no convincing evidence against the JeM chief in the evidence provided by India so he was not named in the FIR.
“Everybody knows we took him in custody. We interrogated him and other people but with the available evidence, he doesn’t seem involved. However, if India gives us some proof, we are ready to act. With this evidence he cannot be named. Maulana Masood Azhar is innocent until proven guilty,” he said.
The official said India should brief the Pakistani investigators when they visit the Pathankot site to make a case against the JeM supremo.
Another official said India wanted Pakistan to charge-sheet Maulana Masood Azhar on the basis of allegations. “They named him so we interrogated him. Our investigators can’t make a false case to please India,” he said.
The official said Pakistan had no sympathy with any individual or outfit involved in terrorism. “If India can prove Maulana Masood Azhar is involved, we will act,” he remarked.
He said India had given green signal for Pakistani investigators’ visit and a final date and their mandate was being discussed. “There are differences among Indian leaders on what our investigators can and what they cannot do. Once the picture is clear and our investigators’ mandate is decided, they will leave for India,” he added.
Analysts stressed the need for early resumption of dialogue between Pakistan and India for sustainable peace in the region.
Former foreign secretary Salman Bashir said India itself announced the Pathankot incident would not affect the peace process, “but delay in the already scheduled talks is unjustifiable.” “Pakistan is investigating the Pathankot attack and India should not link talks to this incident,” he added.
Another analyst Lt General Raza Mohammed Khan (Retd) said the international community should play its role to pressurise New Delhi to resolve all issues with Pakistan through dialogue. “After all we have to sit on the negotiations table. Pakistan is itself a victim of terrorism and will not support anybody to strike any other country. The Patahankot investigations seem fair and headed in the right direction,” General Khan said.