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Pakistan calls for understanding with India on airbase attack probe

Xinhua, March 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

Pakistan on Thursday called for understanding with India for progress about the probe into the january attack on an Indian airbase that killed at least 7 soldiers.

The move from the Foreign Ministry came a day after Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said in reported comments that Pakistani non-state actors were behind the Pathankot attack but added "they couldn't have carried it out without the support of the Pakistani establishment."

The Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria regretted what he called the Indian blame game on Pathankot terror attack.

"Cooperation and understanding is need of the hour to take the investigation into Pathankot incident forward," Zakaria said at his weekly briefing.

The Indian authorities had blamed the Pakistani banned militant group "Jaish-e-Mohammad" for the attack. Days later the Pakistani authorities arrested chief of the group, Masood Azhar, and some other members and also sealed several of its religious schools.

Police in the Pakistani eastern city of Gujranwala in Punjab province also registered cases against six unidentified people in connection of the attack that had again hit relations between the uneasy neighbours. India postponed official talks with Pakistan after the attack.

The spokesman while commenting on the Indian Defense Minister's statement accusing Pakistan of the attack, said blame game on the part of India is unfortunate and unhelpful.

"Joint Investigation Team has been formed and modalities are being worked out for its visit to India," he said.

He said Pakistan has denounced terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and believes all nations need to collaborate with each other to defeat this menace.

To a question, the spokesperson said Pakistan and India are working on the dates for foreign secretary level talks.

The talks were scheduled to take place last month but were delayed due to the attack.

The spokesman confirmed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will attend nuclear security summit in Washington later this month. Enditem