NEW DELHI: Despite strong protests from the Opposition, the government has provided unprecedented access to Pakistan’s Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the Pathankot attack case but the officials in security establishment are worried whether Pakistan will allow NIA sleuths quiz Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar.
NIA chief Sharad Kumar on Tuesday made it clear that he expected access to Azhar, who runs Jaish-e-Mohammed from a sprawling five-acre campus in Usman O Ali, Bahawalpur in the neighbouring country.
“Jaish was created by ISI and the Pakistani army for waging a proxy war against India. It is financed and controlled by ISI and allowing the NIA to quiz Azhar appears to be impossible. We wish Pakistan would do so but chances are very rare. I am not sure if Pakistan will allow the NIA to quiz other terrorist handlers either, as they may also expose Pakistani state actors’ role in the Pathankot attack,” a senior official said.