Parliamentary Committee briefed on Balakot strike, no evidence asked

Airstrike

Days after IAF carried out air strike at Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) camp in Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale briefed a Parliamentary Committee on the Indian action and the related developments.

Gokhale told the Standing Committee on External Affairs about the February 26 air raid in Balakot in the context of Pulwama terror attack of February 14, sources said.

He told the committee on March 1 about other steps taken by the government after the Pulwama attack, including apprising the international community about how the terror incident had links in Pakistan.

The attack was claimed by JeM which is based in Pakistan and backed by the regime in that country.

Some Committee members asked the Foreign Secretary why he, rather than Defence Secretary or military officials, had briefed the media on February 26 after the air strike, the sources told ANI.

Gokhale responded that it was the decision of the government.

No member of the committee asked the Foreign Secretary to share evidence about the Balakot air strike, the sources insisted.

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