Hundreds gathered at Wagah border to greet the IAF pilot

Hundreds gathered at Wagah border to greet the IAF pilot

Hundreds gathered at Wagah border to greet the IAF pilot

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan forces after his MiG 21 crashed in PoK after a dogfight between India and Pakistan was released at ... on Friday. The brave pilot crossed the Wagah-Attari border along with ....

He was earlier handed over to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on Friday. 

In a surprise peace gesture, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had said on Thursday at a joint session of the parliament that Abhinandan would be released. "Yesterday I tried to call (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi to say that we don't want escalation. Our push for de-escalation doesn't mean we are afraid," Imran Khan said. "We have an Indian pilot. As a peace gesture, we will release him tomorrow."

Meanwhile, India on Friday informed that the daily Beating the Retreat ceremony at Attari-Wagah Border will not be held on Friday in light of Abhinandan's release.

Earlier in the day, media reports said that Pakistan has turned down a request by India to send back Abhinandan by aerial route and not through the Attari-Wagah land border. Official sources said hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the decision to release Varthaman, India conveyed to Islamabad that he be sent back via the aerial route. However, late in the night, Pakistan conveyed to India that the pilot will be returned through the Attari-Wagah border and India's request could not be heeded to, the sources said.

The Indian defence establishment was also mulling sending a special aircraft to Pakistan, the sources said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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