Feb 28, 2019
NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman,
who was captured by Pakistani army on Wednesday as he landed across the border
after he ejected from his MiG when it flamed during action, will be returned
to India on Friday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan told the Pak parliament
on Thursday.
IAF officials will receive Abhinandan at the Wagah border post on Friday evening,
sources said. He will be accompanied by the outgoing defence attache.
The Press Information Department of the Pakistan Government posted on the official Twitter account of the Government that Prime Minister Imran Khan told parliamentarians during the joint session on Thursday, "As a peace gesture we are releasing Wing Commander Abhinandan tomorrow," Pakistani news channels reported.
Prime Minister Modi chaired a high-level meeting Thursday evening, attended
by chiefs of the three Services, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister
Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
A joint media briefing was also held by the Army, Air Force and Navy in the
evening at which the officials gave the details of the military operations and
emphasised their readiness to meet any eventuality.
On Imran Khan's announcement of the pilot's release as a gesture of peace,
the Indian Air Force said that Pakistan's gesture was in compliance with the
Geneva Convention.
"As far as the IAF is concerned, we are happy that our pilot - who is in Pakistan's
custody - is returning... but we only see it as a gesture in compliance with
the Geneva Convention," Air-Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor said at the joint briefing
of the Army, Air Force and the Navy on Thursday.
The military chiefs also participated in another meeting with National Security
Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary, Home secretary and the chiefs of the
Intelligence Bureau and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
Capt Amarinder Singh has tweeted, "Dear @narendramodi ji , I’m touring the
border areas of Punjab & I’m presently in Amritsar. Came to know that @pid_gov
has decided to release #AbhinandanVartaman from Wagha. It will be a honour for
me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumnus of the NDA as I am."
Pilot Abhinandan's father Air Marshal (retd) S Varthaman said in a statement
he was praying he would not get tortured in the neighbouring country and return
home "safe and sound".
The pilot was captured by Pakistani forces after his MiG 21 Bison crossed the
Line Of Control (LoC) and fell into the neighbouring country's territory, after
a Pak engagement with Indian forces on Wednesday.
India had summoned the acting high commissioner of Pakistan, Syed Haider Shah,
and demanded the immediate and safe return of the IAF pilot. And raised objection
to the "vulgar display" of an injured personnel in violation of International
Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Conventions.
On the release of the pilot, JK's PDP leader and former Chief Minister Mehbooba
Mufti said: "The decision to hand over Wing Commander Abhinandan is a great
gesture & shouldn't be seen in isolation. It also comes at a time when Pak could’ve
chosen to further escalate an already tensed situation. I see it as a mark of
reconciliation. Our leadership should reciprocate."
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to to Modi and conveyed solidarity of
the people of the Russian Federation with the people of India in the fight against
terrorism.
Meanwhile, Air Canada, which had suspended flights to india on Wednesday, has
stated its flights to Delhi will resume from Toronto (AC 42) on Thursday night
and from Vancouver (AC44) on Friday.
