Pak says no terror camps on 22 sites, no link to Pulwama of persons detained, India disappointed at response

March 28, 2019

Islamabad/New Delhi: Pakistan has said it has so found no Jaish-e-Mohammad training camps existing at 22 pin locations provided by India in a dossier it had handed over to Islamabd after the February 14 Pulwama attack, and neither had it been able to find any details linking the 54 detained individuals to the terror attack.

India, however, expressed disappointment over Pakistan’s response.

Responding to a media query, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that Islamabad continued to be in denial and even refused to acknowledge the Pulwama incident as a terror attack.

He, however, said that India was still examining the paper handed over to it by Pakistan.

“India is disappointed at Pakistan’s response to our detailed dossier on Jaish-e-Mohammed’s complicity in the cross-border terror attack in Pulwama and the presence of its terror camps and leadership in Pakistan. Regrettably, Pakistan continues to be in denial and even refuses to acknowledge Pulwama as a terror attack,” Kumar said.

Pakistan Foreign office in a statement in Iislamabd said that during the course of investigations, all aspects of the information provided by India were thoroughly examined including the “confessional” video of Adil Dar, “claim” of responsibility for the attack, Whatsapp and Telegram numbers used to share videos and messages in support of Pulwama attack, list of 90 individuals suspected of belonging to a proscribed organization and 22 pin locations of alleged training camps.

”While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far. Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations.

Additional information and documents from India would be essential to continue the process of investigations. Pakistan remains committed to taking this process to its logical conclusion,” it said.

In New Delhi, the External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson said,””We are hardly surprised, as this identical script was followed by Pakistan in the past after the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 or in Pathankot in 2016. It is a well-known fact that the UN-designated terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed and its leader Masood Azhar are based in Pakistan. This was also acknowledged recently in international media by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister.’

Kumar said there was no dearth of sufficient actionable information and evidence in Pakistan to take action against them, provided there was sincerity and intent to do so. “Nevertheless, we are examining the paper handed over by Pakistan,” he said.

Kumar said Pakistan should abide by the commitment it made in 2004 and which its current leadership has recently repeated, i.e, vowing not to allow any territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India in any manner.

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