Pakistan: IAF Pilot Abhinandan Varthaman to be released to India this afternoon at Wagah border
Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan on Wednesday will walk back to his country (India) today. On Thursday Pakistan Prime Minister announced Varthaman’s release as a ‘peace gesture,’ a move to reduce the tension from both neighbouring countries engaged in aerial combat after decades.
IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman will be handed over to India via Wagah border today afternoon said Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the spokesperson. He further added he will be handed over around 3 to 4 pm.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi: The Indian Pilot (#AbhinanadanVarthaman) will be released this afternoon via Wagah. pic.twitter.com/B4kRwcM9zo
— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2019
Pakistan has felt huge pressure from world leaders, that has urged it and even India to step back as hostilities peaked over the past few days. India and Pakistan have been under tension over border escalation via aerial routes and war like hysteria had been created amongst the two neighbouring countries but with IAF Pilot Abhinandan’s release, it is being expected that the situation would normalize.
As reported by Dawn, in the special Parliament session, before the Opposition leaders took the floor, PM Imran Khan intervened and said, ‘I wish to announce that the Indian pilot captured by Pakistan Air Force a day earlier will be released tomorrow as a peace gesture.’
Also read: Wing Commander Abhinandan's parents get cheers, claps as they board flight for Delhi
First published: 1 March 2019, 12:44 IST