New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a charge-sheet in the Pathankot terror attack case naming Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar among three others.
“The NIA has today (Monday) filed charge sheet in the Pathankot terror attack case against four accused persons, Maulana Masood Azhar, Chief of the terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, Deputy Chief of JeM and brother of Azhar, Shahid Latif, launching commander and Kashif Jan, main handler of Pathankot attackers,” the National Investigation Agency said in an official statement here. The charge-sheet was filed in special court of the agency in Panchkula Punjab.
The terror attack on Pathankot Air force base camp on January 2 left seven soldiers dead after four militants managed to enter the camp.
In the chargesheet, they have been charged for offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The chargesheet states that the same offences were also established against the attackers from the JeM – Nasir Hussain, Hafiz Abu Bakar, Umar Farooq and Abdul Qayum – who executed the terror attack at the airbase on January 2.
Pakistan, despite repeated reminders through the external affairs ministry, has not provided any evidence in the Pathankot attack and has also remained silent on allowing an NIA team to visit. It hasn’t given access to Azhar and other suspects either.