Digvijay takes on PM Modi as Indo-Pak talks look in jeopardy

Asserting that the nation's security has become a joke, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Thursday said it is a matter of deep concern that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not able to take decisions with regard to the dialogue with Islamabad and asked New Delhi to make its stand clear on the issue.

"It is surprising that the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister could not take any decision because Ajit Doval was not available. It makes it clear that who is deciding the policy, it is neither the Prime Minister not the Foreign Minister, it is a matter of concern. The person who is not answerable to the Parliament, who is not an elected representative, is taking such decisions," Singh told ANI.

"Where did the news of Masood Azhar's arrest came from? Who gave this information? This has to be found out. Things have become a joke. Country's security has become a joke. Things ought to be made clear," he added.

Earlier, the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said that they have no information about the arrest of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar in connection with the recent Pathankot terror attack.

When asked about the Foreign Secretary level talks between the two countries, MOFA spokesperson Khalilullah Qazi said that the two governments remain in touch to firm up the date for the meeting of the two Foreign Secretaries.

Reports earlier suggested that Pakistan's law enforcement agencies had yesterday arrested 12 suspects of the banned Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), including its chief Masood Azhar, over links with the attack on Indian Air Force base in Pathankot.

The reports also suggested that a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was informed on Wednesday that offices of JeM that allegedly conducted Pathankot attack were secretly operating in four cities of Punjab.

The offices had reportedly been sealed in Bahwalnagar, Bahawalpur, Multan and Muzafargarh cities and the suspected members of the group were also held, top officials briefed Sharif.