Pakistan Army chief trembled fearing Indian attack after Abhinandan capture?

A minister in Imran Khan's government hit back at the opposition's allegations

bajwa abhinandan A collage of Abhinandan Varthaman (PTI), on the left, and Qamar Javed Bajwa (Reuters)

The drama over the capture, and subsequent release, of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistan in February 2019 is making news again. Varthaman was taken prisoner by Pakistan after his MiG-21 fighter was shot down following the aerial skirmish over the Line of Control on February 27, 2019.

Ayaz Sadiq, a member of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), alleged in Pakistan's National Assembly on Wednesday the Imran Khan government released Abhinandan under pressure. Sadiq said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a meeting of lawmakers India would attack Pakistan "that night by 9pm", if Abhinandan was not released. While it is unclear which date Sadiq is referring to, Imran Khan announced in the National Assembly on February 28, 2019, that Abhinandan would be released the following day. Abhinandan was handed over to Indian officials at the Wagah border on March 1 that year.

"I remember Shah Mahmood Qureshi was in the meeting, which Imran Khan had refused to attend and Chief of Army Staff General [Qamar Javed] Bajwa came into the room, his legs were shaking and he was perspiring. Foreign minister said for God’s sake let Abhinandan go; India is about to attack Pakistan at 9PM," Sadiq was quoted as saying by ANI.

The comments about the release of Abhinandan came amid criticism of the Imran Khan government's policy on India by the opposition. Another PML-N leader, Khawaja Asif, said Bajwa had told the aforementioned meeting with opposition leaders that releasing Abhinandan would be a "positive gesture". "You might have released Abhinandan to ease tensions between the two countries, but I want to ask as to what has been outcome of what you invested in relations of two countries,” Asif was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s The News International.

Ali Muhammad Khan, the minister for parliamentary affairs in Imran Khan's government, shot back at the opposition's allegations. Ali Muhammad Khan said former president and leader of the Pakistan's People's Party Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N's Shehbaz Sharif were also present at the meeting referred to by Sadiq.

“An idea was floated that he [Abhinandan] be returned... Zardari sahab was there, Shehbaz… was there but no opposition leader objected to it. If you believe, returning Abhinandan was wrong then they should have said it in the meeting," Ali Muhammad Khan was quoted as saying by Pakistan's Samaa.

Modi’s ‘missile threat’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had hinted that India threatened military action to force Pakistan to release Abhinandan. Modi spoke about the capture of Abhinandan at an election rally in Gujarat in April 2019 during campaigning for the Parliamentary elections that year.

" A top man in America had issued a statement that Modi was ready with 12 missiles. That the situation was serious, so it was good that Pakistan announced the return of the Indian pilot, or else it would be a qatal ki raat (night of murder). America said this, I don’t have to say much now, I will speak when the time comes,” The Indian Express reported Modi as saying on April 21, 2019.

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