Pak JIT visit: Didn't ask for Congress' suggestion, says Naqvi

In response to the Congress Party criticizing the BJP-led NDA Government's move to permit a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan to visit the Pathankot Air Force Base, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday said that they had not asked for any suggestion from the grand old party regarding the visit.

"We have not asked for any advice from the Congress on this. But because they are giving free advice, for that, I would like to thank them. But it would have been better if they would have given this advice when there were terror attacks one after another in India; but during that time they were sitting hands on hands," BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told ANI here.

"As far as the nation's security is concerned, Modi government's motive is very clear . Nation's security is of most priority for us," he added.

Earlier, the Congress Party slammed the government's move to permit JIT from Pakistan to visit the Pathankot Air Force Base, saying this one step by the Modi government has led too much disgrace for the nation.

"We are a democratic country, our institutions are far stronger than Pakistan. They are coming here because I believe they don't trust our investigating agencies or whatever evidence we produce. That means we are going to allow a country to come into our sovereign land because they don't trust us? Are we going to shame our agencies in front of Pakistani agencies? I think this one step by the Modi government has led to so much disgrace to the nation which is unfathomable for me," said Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit.

Expressing similar sentiments, another congress leader P.L. Punia said that it is unfortunate that the Pakistani JIT was allowed to come to India to investigate.

Meanwhile, Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged massive protests outside the Air Base demanding that the JIT should go back.

Chanting slogans against the Centre and holding placards saying "Pak JIT go back" the protestors also waved black flags and reached the gates of the Air Base, where defence personnel were seen trying to restrain them and stop them from entering the restricted area.

The five-member Pakistani JIT is headed by Chief of Punjab's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Muhammad Tahir Rai and comprises Lahore's Deputy Director General, Intelligence Bureau, Mohammad Azim Arshad, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) official Lieutenant-Colonel Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence official Lieutenant-Colonel Irfan Mirza and Gujaranwala CTD Investigating Officer, Shahid Tanveer.