Attari-Wagah crossing. Click to see full-size image
On February 28th, in a sign of de-escalation, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that the country would released the captured Indian Pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as a peace gesture.
As a true statesman, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan announced that #Pakistan will release Indian Air Force Pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman tomorrow as a peace gesture. pic.twitter.com/4nIbd6szk6
— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) February 28, 2019
The decision was praised by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has welcomed Prime Minister Imran Khan's decision to release the captured Indian pilot. pic.twitter.com/TFDlhCpimd
— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) March 1, 2019
The decision was also once more repeated by Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi: The Indian Pilot (#AbhinanadanVarthaman) will be released this afternoon via Wagah. pic.twitter.com/B4kRwcM9zo
— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2019
Hindustan Times reported that the pilot had been handed over to the Indian High Commission in Pakistan and will cross the Attari-Wagah joint check-post at around 3-4 pm on March 1st.
A senior Indian Air Force team is at the Attari-Wagah check post to receive the incoming pilot.
Deputy Commissioner Shiv Dular Singh Dhillon, Amritsar: Wing Commander #AbhinandanVarthaman will cross the border today, can't tell you exact time since there are certain formalities. A senior Indian Air force team from Delhi is here, they will be the ones to receive him. pic.twitter.com/np8iCrCn5h
— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2019
According to Indian party BJP President Amit Shah the return of the pilot is a diplomatic victory of India.
“Creating the situation for return of pilot Abhinandan in such a short span of time is our diplomatic victory,” Shah said.
However, in a sign that the tension has not entirely dissipated, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi refused to attend the meeting of foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Abu Dhabi because Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj was invited as a Guest of Honor.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi: I will not attend Council of Foreign Ministers as a matter of principle for having extended invitation as a Guest of Honour to Sushma Swaraj. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/eRIiSVkox7
— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2019
Abu Dhabi: Empty Pakistani chair at OIC as Guest of Honour Sushma Swaraj gives her speech. pic.twitter.com/wzbmCg0CSz
— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2019
Qureshi also admitted that Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar is in Pakistan and is “unwell”, but said the government can act against him only if India presents “solid” and “inalienable” evidence that can stand in a court of law.
While speaking at the OIC, Sushma Swaraj said terrorism is destabilizing regions and that India would continue fighting against Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Qureshi also said that Pakistan will take action against him if presented with “evidence that can stand in a court of law”.
“If they have solid, inalienable evidence that is acceptable to courts of Pakistan, share it with us so that we can convince the people and we can convince the independent judiciary of Pakistan,” Qureshi said.
“We need to satisfy the legal process,” he said.
Qureshi also added that the release of captured IAF pilot is a “peace gesture” and must be seen as Pakistan’s “willingness to de-escalate.”
EAM Sushma Swaraj at OIC conclave:. Terrorism is destroying lives,destabilizing regions and putting the world at great peril. Terror reach is growing and the toll it is taking is increasing. pic.twitter.com/l3jsVrqsZj
— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2019
“We see the terrible face of terror. We are witnessing the terrible and senseless destruction of terrorism. Terror is growing and we are seeing the terrible face of terror in many of our countries. Terrorism is destroying lives, destabilising regions and putting the world at great peril. Terror reach is growing and the toll it is taking is increasing,” Sushma Swaraj said at the OIC meeting.
Despite the progress, on February 28th, India announced that its weapons systems and navy are on high alert, since Pakistan was targeting military sites.
“We are fully prepared to respond to any provocation.” In the event of further aggression, Rear Admiral D.S. Gujral assured a “resolute, swift and strong response” by the Indian Navy, which has been “deployed in a high state of readiness and remains poised in three dimensions, on land, sea and in the air.”
Finally, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that he had “good conversations” with leaders of both India and Pakistan and he was hopeful that tensions would be reduced.
“We were and continue to be very engaged with the issue between India and Pakistan,” Pompeo told reporters. “I spent a good deal of time on the phone last night talking to leaders in both countries, making sure there was good information exchanged, encouraging each country to not take any action that would escalate and create increased risk,” he said.
“I had good conversations, and I am hopeful that we can take down the tension there, at least for the time being, so they can begin to have conversations that don’t portend risk of escalation to either of the two countries. So we’re working hard on that,” Pompeo concluded.
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Israel are trying really hard to start this war between India and Pakistan.
Pakistan can afford to be magnanimous as its army and airforce have acquitted themselves with literally flying colors. The Zionist scum goaded India into a reckless aggression against Pakistan and that backfired. Robert Fisk of the independent has a very objective analysis on Zionist strategy to fan a nuclear conflict on the subcontinent. Pakistan made its point and now is giving India a chance to save face and has no interest in keep a geriatric Indian pilot captive. The only good thing that came out of Indian humiliation is that Pakistanis have become more anti-Zionist than ever. India is taking very poor advice from Zionists and engaged in brutalities in Kashmir and now that whole policy needs to be questioned. India is weak end needs to focus on feeding its starving people and building toilets.
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you smoke lots of weed and you see everywhere the israel lol!! you are so scared!
Indeed, fucking Jews are like a cancer that spreads malignancy all over.
Israel is playing a big role in India’s escalating conflict with Pakistan (by Robert Fisk)
Then I heard the name Balakot and realised that it was neither in Gaza, nor in Syria – not even in Lebanon – but in Pakistan. Strange thing, that. How could anyone mix up Israel and India?
For months, Israel has been assiduously lining itself up alongside India’s nationalist BJP government inan unspoken – and politically dangerous – “anti-Islamist” coalition, an unofficial, unacknowledged alliance, while India itself has now become the largest weapons market for the Israeli arms trade.
Not by chance, therefore, has the Indian press just trumpeted the fact that Israeli-made Rafael Spice-2000 “smart bombs” were used by the Indian air force in its laughable strike against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) “terrorists” inside Pakistan.
Just like you were duped almost 40 years ago.
I remember.
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Also, India on Thursday removed Air Marshal C Hari Kumar from the post of Western Air Command’s Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief. After such humiliation it was expected.
It is easy to dupe people when they are already divided. Pakistan had more bengalis living in it than any other ethnicities and yet the government wasnt ruled by bengalis. That was the main issue. Do more research on history on shit before you talk shit. There are many other countries that are divided currently, just like America and Spain.
AMIT SHAH IS THIEF. TELLING ITS A DIPLOMATIC VCTORY. CURRENT GOVERMENT HAS MADE INDIAN ARMY SO WEAK AND SLAVE TO DEPEND ON FORIEGN SUPPORT MAINLY ISRAEL. AND ISAREL IS WANT TO CREATE WAR EVERYWHERE WHERE THEY CAN SELL WEOPEONS AND MAKE MONEY. KASMIR ISSUE ALWAYS FLARE UP DURING BJP RULE WHY? . UNLESS BJP IS WORKING FOR ZONIST US BRITSH . SAME LIKE THEY WORKED DURING INDEPENDNCE UNDER BRITISH RULE AND GANDHI GOT KILLED WHICH CREATED CIVILWAR DEATH AND DESTRUTION.
Indian Army should not listen to politics and tell their learders not to interfere and bring politics in armed force of indian army navy or air force .
Don’t worry, like I said before based on experience, India has learnt its harsh lesson and will now shut the fuck up. You Pakistanis did a textbook air engagement and humiliated a far bigger enemy. It is all about perceptions in combat, and now relax and take the caps off :) Pakistan Zendebad :)
Pakistan ne bhartiyoN ki durgat bnai hai k yad rakhain gay. BBC urdu pr article parhain baazi moodi jeeta ya imran
Would you fight in WWIII ?, for:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D0jiya6U0AAANMK.jpg
If they took their turbans off and were toilet trained than perhaps :)
Hahahaha
Pakistan doesn’t need Israel to behave like a bunch of radalized Sunni muslims; it’s just what they are. They’ve been supporting jihad since the country was first formed in 1947, and really ramped up in the 80’s with CIA, Mossad and Saudi backing. You think Turkey is a problem for Syria and Russia? Now consider an Erdogan-style Turkey but with nuclear weapons and a far more radicalized muslim population. That’s what India is dealing with.
This conflict will keep reigniting as long as Pakistan keeps sponsoring terrorists in India (they do the same to Afghanistan and Iran, also, but neither of those countries are strong enough to hit back).
Well the Wahhabi Jihadis are CIA darlings that were created to fight the “right” Jihad against Russians in Afghanistan and now in Syria, but don’t let facts get in the way of a good spin. How do you think Pakistan got the 22,000 Wahhabi madrassas funded by Saudi scum and Emirati Americunt arse lickers. Hallelujah.
You can easily spot the cockroaches from Tel Aviv… always plucking ‘facts’ out of their trained orifices..
Ok dipsh*t, explain to me how the Isrealis have tricked innocent Pakistan into backing terrorists and promoting jihad for the last several decades? That’s some powerful Jew medicine.
Seriously, I oppose the Jew agenda and solidly root for Russia, Syria and Iran against the USIsrealiSaudi axis of evil in the Middle East… but let’s get real. Muslims are still muslims, and the Pakistanis are about as “muslim” as they come.
You idiots are rooting for Russia, Syria and Iran (which you should) all of whom have suffered gravely at the hands of Sunni WahabbiTakfiri types from all over the world… and now you cheer on Pakistan, a Sunni terrorist state?
I thought we all agreed ISIS, Erdogan, Saudi, etc were the bad guys and that we supported Russia and Assad because they have the moral high ground. Now you’re telling me we should support Pakistan? Huh? What am I missing here?
Just to keep perspective, Pakistan has 20% or more Shia population and they are ones defending all the Shia sites in Syria. Pakistani Shia were first to volunteer for the Shia militias that were formed to protect Syria and have guarded the Sayyidah Zaynab mosque and shrine since then. Russia on the other hand has kissed Zionist arse, even when they killed Russians. Most people are smart enough to see what’s going on.
Zionist bastard scums always posing as muslims and creating fake wars. I am 100% sure ISIS was created, funded and financed by Israel and the U.S.