Modi talks tough, wants Sharif to act on terror

Islamabad says foreign secy-level talks on

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked his Pakistani counterpart M Nawaz Sharif to act immediately against  individuals and organisations responsible for the terrorist attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot.

Modi talked tough when Sharif called him to discuss about the terrorist attack, which cast a shadow on the resumption of the stalled bilateral dialogue, particularly the meeting between the foreign secretaries of the two nations scheduled to take place in Islamabad on January 15.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs statement, 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 attack.

Modi made it clear that New Delhi would expect Islamabad to act fast on the “specific and actionable information” gathered and shared by Indian government’s agencies with Islamabad against terrorists based in the neighbouring country.
 
Sharif assured Modi that his government would take “prompt and decisive action against the terrorists,” the MEA added.

The Pakistan prime minister, who is on a tour to Sri Lanka, told journalists in Colombo that New Delhi and Islamabad would hold the foreign secretary-level talks as scheduled.

The MEA press release had no reference to the future course of India’s engagement with Pakistan.Officials, however, told Deccan Herald that New Delhi had made it clear to Islamabad that it would be very difficult to resume bilateral dialogue unless Pakistan acts on the information provided by India. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday shared with his Pakistani counterpart Naseer Khan Janjua details of the calls and transcripts of the conversations between the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists, who attacked the air base, and the commanders of the terror outfit based in the neighbouring country.

He also shared with Janjua, a former Lt General in the Pakistan army, information about the manufacturers of the shoe worn by the terrorists, the army fatigues and the weapons and ammunitions carried by them. Sources said all information provided to Janjua conclusively proved that not only did the terrorists come from Pakistan, but the attacks were also plotted and coordinated from JeM’s headquarters at Bahawalpur in the neighbouring country.