Sharif calls up Modi, promises action

New Delhi, Jan 5: Dialling Prime Minister rendra Modi from Sri Lanka, Pakistan Prime Minister waz Sharif on Tuesday promised “prompt and decision action” against terrorists linked to the attack on the IAF base in Pathankot in Punjab.

Sharif, currently on a visit to Sri Lanka, gave the assurance when he called Modi to discuss the attack. The two leaders spoke hours after a conversation between India’s tiol security adviser Ajit Doval and his counterpart seer Khan Janjua.

Sharif gave the assurance after New Delhi provided “specific and actioble information” to Islamabad regarding the terrorists, and Modi underlined the need for Pakistan to take “firm and immediate action” against organisations and individuals responsible for the attack.

The Sharif-Modi telephonic conversation followed the killing of all six terrorists believed to be from Pakistan after they attacked the Indian Air Force base early on Saturday, leaving seven security personnel dead.

An official statement said Modi got a call in the afternoon from Sharif “regarding the terrorist attack on the Pathankot air base”.

“Modi strongly emphasised the need for Pakistan to take firm and immediate action against the organisations and individuals responsible for and linked to the Pathankot terrorist attack,” the statement said.

It said specific and actioble information in this regard has been provided to Pakistan. “Sharif assured Modi that his government would take prompt and decisive action against the terrorists,” it added.

This was their first known conversation since Modi dramatically flew into Lahore on Christmas Day while returning home from Kabul and spent some two hours with Sharif.

Radio Pakistan reported that Sharif telephoned Modi “and conveyed sorrow and grief on the losses in (the) Pathankot terror attack”.

It quoted Sharif as saying that terrorists always tried to derail the process of peace between the two countries. “Pakistan will investigate in detail on the leads and information provided by the government of India,” it said.

The two Prime Ministers also showed a resolve to battle terrorism together through mutual cooperation, Radio Pakistan added.

The tion, a Pakistani newspaper, quoted Sharif as saying: “We are with India in this hard time and will assist in any way possible... We will investigate according to information given by India.” Sharif and Modi also discussed other strategic issues, it added.

Sources said New Delhi had shared with Islamabad intercepts of calls made to Pakistan-based handlers by the terrorists who attacked the airbase. Details of the Pakistani numbers which the attackers called were also shared with Pakistani authorities.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office earlier said the two countries should continue with a “sustained dialogue process” and adopt a cooperative approach for tackling terrorism.

Referring to the discussions between the Prime Ministers and the NSAs, an Indian official said: “These conversations amply reflect India’s concerns over the Pakistan-based group staging a daring attack in Pathankot. There are enough leads for Pakistan to follow up on and take action. They need to match their words with action.”

The US has said it expects Pakistan to bring to justice the elements responsible for the Pathankot attack without discrimiting between terrorist groups during its operations.

Modi’s Lahore visit came after a series of diplomatic engagements between New Delhi and Islamabad. The two leaders had a seemingly impromptu meeting on November 30 at the Paris climate summit.

On December 6, Indian tiol Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart seer Khan Janjua met in Bangkok. Two days later, Sushma Swaraj landed in Islamabad to attend the Heart of Asia conference on Afghanistan.

On December 9, Sushma Swaraj announced that Modi would visit Islamabad in 2016 to attend the South Asian Association for Regiol Cooperation (Saarc) summit.

India and Pakistan have since agreed to start a comprehensive bilateral dialogue. It was when the stage was being set for the foreign secretaries to meet this month in Islamabad that the terrorists raided the IAF base in Pathankot. (IANS & Agencies)