NEW DELHI: Pakistan has backtracked from its promise to allow a team of Indian investigators to visit there to probe the Pathankot terror attack case apparently after finding that NIA has enough evidence to nail ISI's links with terrorists involved in it, official sources said.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had given the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of Pakistan, during its five- day trip to India, critical evidence on Pakistani handlers of the terrorists who carried out the January 2 attack on the strategic airbase.
The JIT was given full transcript of the telephonic conversations between the terrorists and their Pakistani handlers along with their identity, the sources said.
The NIA gave to JIT the links of Pakistani officials, believed to be ISI personnel, with the handlers of the terrorists, the sources said.
The JIT was provided with electronic and forensic evidence regarding the slain terrorists' Pakistani links, name of the terrorists and several other critical evidence after an exhaustive probe conducted by the NIA.
The Pakistani team was given concrete proof that Jaish-e -Mohammed chief Masood Azhar's brother Abdul Rauf was in constant touch with the terrorists and giving them necessary instructions during the three-day carnage.
"The JIT was completely surprised over the evidence the NIA had gathered as proof of the Pakistani links of the terrorists. They realised that their game is up. The sudden turn around on the promise of allowing an NIA team to visit Pakistan could be the result of that," a source said.
Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit had yesterday indicated that Indian investigators may not be allowed to visit Pakistan to pursue the probe in connection with the Pathankot attack.
However, India countered it by saying that before the JIT's visit here, both sides had agreed that it would be on the basis of reciprocity.