Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who become the face of the crisis between Islamabad and New Delhi, was handed back to Indian officials at the Wagah border crossing on Friday evening.
New Delhi:
According to reports, the handover took place at around 5:30 pm on Friday evening.
Informed sources said that Abhinandan was accompanied by Indian High Commission officials from Islamabad.
Following paper work and Abhinandan's medical checkup, the Pakistani officials made the transfer. The daily Retreat ceremony held at the Attari-Wagah border front was cancelled for Friday in view of IAF Wing Commander's release, the BSF said.
Hundreds of people had flocked the Attari border since early Friday morning to catch a glimpse of Abhinandan
Earlier, the Islamabad High Court dismissed a plea by a Pakistani citizen to stop the imminent release of the captured Indian Air Force pilot, saying he committed crime against the country and should be put on trial.
UPDATE:
- The IAF pilot will be flown to New Delhi from Amritsar after he enters India.
- Air Vice-Marshal Ravi Kapoor is likely to give statement at the Attari border shortly.
- Sources suggest Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman might also appear before media later on Friday.
'Eco-terrorism'
Pakistan plans to lodge a complaint against India at the United Nations, accusing it of “eco-terrorism” over air strikes that damaged pine trees and brought the nuclear-armed nations to blows, a government minister said on Friday.
Indian warplanes on Tuesday bombed a hilly forest area near the northern Pakistani town of Balakot, about 40 km (25 miles) from India’s border in the Himalayan region of Kashmir. New Delhi said it had destroyed a militant training camp and killed hundreds of “terrorists”.
Climate Change Minister Malik Amin Aslam said Indian jets bombed a “forest reserve” and the government was undertaking an environmental impact assessment, which will be the basis a complaint at the United Nations and other forums.
The United Nations states that “destruction of the environment, not justified by military necessity and carried out wantonly, is clearly contrary to existing international law”, according to the U.N. General Assembly resolution 47/37.
Abhinandan was shot down over Kashmir on Wednesday, after a dogfight in the skies over the disputed Himalayan region which sent tensions between India and Pakistan to their highest levels in years and alarmed world powers, who issued calls for restraint.
(With inputs from Reuters)