Pathankot attack: Sharif calls Modi, assures prompt action

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday promised his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi that Islamabad will take "prompt and decisive action" against terrorists linked to the attack on the IAF base in Pathankot.

Sharif gave the assurance after New Delhi provided "specific and actionable information" to Islamabad regarding the terrorists, and Modi underlined the need for Pakistan to take "firm and immediate action" against organisations and individuals responsible for the attack.

The Sharif-Modi telephonic conversation followed the killing of all six terrorists believed to be from Pakistan after they attacked the Indian Air Force base early on Saturday, leaving seven security personnel dead.

An official statement said Modi received a call on Tuesday afternoon from Sharif "regarding the terrorist attack on the Pathankot air base".

"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 terrorist attack," the statement said.

It said specific and actionable information in this regard has been provided to Pakistan.

"Sharif assured Modi that his government would take prompt and decisive action against the terrorists," it added.

Modi and Sharif met on Christmas Day when the Indian leader, while flying home from Kabul, dramatically made a two-hour halt in Lahore.

The Lahore visit came after a series of diplomatic engagements between New Delhi and Islamabad after the two leaders had a seemingly impromptu meeting on November 30 at the Paris climate summit.

Following this, on December 6, Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Naseer Khan Janjua met in Bangkok which was also attended by Foreign Secretaries S. Jaishankar and Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry.

Two days later, Sushma Swaraj landed in Islamabad to attend the Heart of Asia conference which engages "heart of Asia" countries for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.

On December 9, Sushma Swaraj told the media there that Modi would visit Islamabad in 2016 to attend the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit.

Then, after a courtesy call on Sharif, she held a bilateral with his Advisor on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz.

The two then came out with a joint statement in which Pakistan assured India that all steps were being taken to expedite the early conclusion of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack trial.

"Both sides, accordingly, agreed to a comprehensive bilateral dialogue and directed the the foreign secretaries to work out the modalities and schedule of the meetings under the dialogue, including peace and security, CBMs (confidence buildins measures), Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project, economic and commercial cooperation, counter-terrorism, narcotics control, humanitarian issues, people-to-people exchanges and religious tourism," the statement said.

Even as the stage was being set for the foreign secretary-level meeting in the middle of this month between the two sides came the Pathankot attack that is being deemed as an attack on the softening of ties between New Delhi and Islamabad.