ISLAMABAD / AGENCIES
As tension between the two nations continues to mount, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said Islamabad would release the IAF pilot wing Commander Abhinandan, captured by them tomorrow.
Imran Khan announced to release Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman on Friday as a peace gesture. The pilot was captured by Pakistani forces after his jet was downed on Thursday.
Pakistan PM was giving a policy statement at a joint sitting of both houses of parliament convened to discuss situation that has emerged after Indian intrusion of Pakistan’s airspace .
The session is being attended by all the political parties in the Senate and the National Assembly.
He paid tribute to the national and political parties for being united in the prevailing situation . He said even before being sworn in as prime minister in July, he had said that Pakistan would take two steps forward if India takes one step towards peace.
The reason behind his statement, he said, was poverty in both Pakistan and India.
He said on July 26 gave statement and followed it by letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi but didn’t receive a encouraging response.
He said Pakistan was expecting an incident ahead of Indian election seeing jingoistic rehtoric.
Khan once again raised the question what his country was supposed to gain from Pulwama attack which India blamed on Pakistan.
“After Indian aircraft violated airspace, Pakistan waited to ascertain the damages instead of reacting immediately”, he said
“Tension neither benefits Pakistan nor India,” he said.
He said Pakistan and India should not even think of a war with kinds of weapons they have in their possession.