India will send NIA to Pak at an appropriate time: MEA

With Pakistan claiming that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has not made any request to visit the country to conduct the Pathankot terror attack probe, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said the next step will be considered at an appropriate time.

"The investigations are going on in both countries. We will consider the next step at an appropriate time," MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup told the media here.

Swarup said the JIT visit was held in a very constructive and cooperative environment to investigate the Pathankot air base attack.

"We welcome cooperation to combat terrorism in all its forms," he added.

Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria had earlier said that he was not aware of any official request with regard to the Indian NIA team's visit to the nation.

Meanwhile, commenting on the controversy over the death of Indian prisoner Kirpal Singh, Swarup said, "Through our High Commission in Pakistan, we have asked the Government of Pakistan to take all necessary steps for ensuring safety, security and well-being of all Indians in Pakistani custody. This has been reiterated in light of what happened with Kirpal Singh.

The mystery over Kirpal Singh's death continues as the post-mortem conducted at Amritsar Medical College could not arrive at a conclusion over the cause of this death.

The autopsy, which was conducted by a team of three doctors, says there were no external or internal injury marks on the body.

However, the heart and stomach were missing as they had been taken out during the first autopsy conducted at Jinnah Hospital in Lahore.

The Pakistani officials claimed that he died of a heart attack but Indian authorities suspect that he was murdered.

The Indian prisoner died in a Pakistani's Kot Lakhpat Jail on April 11 under mysterious circumstances. Kirpal Singh's family members have alleged torture and foul play.

In 1991, Kirpal Singh was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Pakistani authorities for allegedly spying and conducting terrorist activities in Pakistan.