New Delhi: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the Indian Air Force (IAF), held captive by Pakistan after a dogfight along the Line of Control (LoC) Wednesday, is scheduled to cross over to India via the Wagah-Attari border at around 3 pm Friday.
He has already been handed over to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, a top official involved in the process told ThePrint.
Varthaman’s return is being facilitated by the IAF and the Ministry of External Affairs, which have decided to make it a solemn affair without much fanfare, the official said.
After taking the IAF pilot into custody, Pakistani authorities are said to have taken him to the 12th Infantry division in Murree, which is the largest infantry division of the Pakistan army. Thereafter, he was taken to the General Headquarters for interrogation, another source told ThePrint.
The source also said there was a diplomatic tussle underway between both sides on the required paperwork for his travel to India via the Wagah-Attari border.
Also read: Pakistan releasing Abhinandan for peace but Imran Khan isn’t optimistic about Modi
‘Peace Gesture’
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had said Thursday that Islamabad would be releasing the IAF pilot as a “gesture of peace” with India.
India had Wednesday issued a strong demarche to the acting High Commissioner of Pakistan to India and told him that there will be no “deal or negotiation” on handing over Wing Commander Varthaman and that he should be returned to India “unharmed”.
Varthaman had landed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the MiG-21 Bison he was flying during the dogfight was shot down by the Pakistanis, who had breached the Line of Control and attacked military installations in Jammu & Kashmir. He was then beaten up by some locals, as suggested by purported footage of his first moments on Pakistani soil, before being rescued by the country’s army.
Also read: Why Pakistan’s PM talked of Tipu Sultan the day he decided to release IAF pilot Abhinandan