Thousands of people had gathered on the Indian side of border to welcome the pilot home
Wagah Border / Amritsar / agencies
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman returned to India a short while ago from Pakistan. Earlier today Pakistan released Abhinandan as what it called a ‘gesture of peace’ towards New Delhi and an effort to de-escalate tensions between the two countries.
Pak Rangers officials handed over the pilot to Indian officials at Wagah border crossing.
IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan was captured when his MiG-21 was among two Indian military aircraft shot down by Pakistan Air Force.
The move to release the pilot was announced Thursday by Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan at a joint session of Parliament, a day after Pakistan shot down two Indian aircraft that had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and captured Wing Commander Abhinandan.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed PM Imran’s decision to release the captured Indian fighter pilot, in what was seen as an effort to de-escalate the gravest crisis between the two countries in years.
UN chief hails PM Imran’s move to free captured Indian pilot
“The report of the release of the Indian pilot by the Pakistani authorities would be very much a welcome step,” UN chief’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, in response to a question at a regular briefing at the United Nations headquarters in New York.