LIVE | IAF to receive Wing Commander Abhinandan at Wagah; Amit Shah defends air strikes

Live updates of developments after IAF struck JeM's terror camp in Balakot on Feb 26. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that IAF pilot Abhinandan will be released today

JUST IN: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi announces that he is boycotting the OIC summit due to the presence of External Afffairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Pak Foreign Minister admits Masood Azhar is in Pakistan

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has 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. (PTI)
China cancels all flights to and from Pakistan in view of Indo-Pak tensions

China has cancelled all flights to and from Pakistan and rerouted its international aircraft flying over the Pakistani airspace due to the regional tensions, official media here reported on Friday.
The closure of Pakistan's airspace in response to escalating tensions with India disrupted major routes between Europe and South East Asia and left thousands of air travellers stranded worldwide.
Flights from the Middle East that usually overfly Pakistan and the Pakistan-India border will have to re-route over India, Myanmar or central Asia to enter China, civil aviation experts told Global Times. (PTI)
People flock to Wagah border to welcome IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman: Report

Security tightened at the Wagah border to control the increasing number of people gathering there to welcome IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, reports News18.
Varthaman's MiG 21 was shot and he bailed out after bringing down one Pakistani F-16 fighter during a dogfight to repel a Pakistani attack on Wednesday morning. He has been in Pakistan since then.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in Parliament on Thursday that Varthaman would be released on Friday as a "peace gesture".
The whole nation is waiting for Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman to return. All this happened for peace but we must that remember we have to fight terrorism. We should stay alert: Congress leader Kapil Sibal to News18.
Sushma Swaraj likely to raise terrorism issue at OIC meet in UAE

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is in Abu Dhabi to attend the foreign ministers' meet of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) states where she is expected to raise the issue of terrorism, amidst Indo-Pak tensions following the Pulwama terror attack.
Swaraj will attend the inaugural plenary of the two-day meeting on Friday. It is for the first time that India has been invited to a meeting of the OIC, an influential grouping of 57 Islamic countries, as the guest of honour. (PTI)
No democratic government will ever agree that use of weapon is the the ultimate solution. However, no use of weapons is also not a solution, if the opponent is resorting to it: BJP chief Amit Shah said on the air strike at India Today conclave.
The whole world knows that the roots of terrorism that India is facing is in Pakistan, says BJP chief Amit Shah at India Today conclave on Friday.
Just In | BSF in Punjab's Ferozepur has arrested an Indian national near border out post and seized a mobile phone with Pakistani SIM card, in use, from his possession. The number is added to eight Pakistani groups. Six other Pakistani phone numbers also retrieved from him. The man is from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. (ANI)
Senators urge Trump to pursue peaceful resolution to India-Pak conflict

Two influential American Senators have asked US President Donald Trump to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict between India and Pakistan and ensure that Islamabad does more against the terrorist groups.
In a letter to Trump, Senators Jerry Moran from Kansas and Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire said that there is a urgency surrounding the dangerous situation between India and Pakistan in Kashmir.
Just In | Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman will be handed over to Indian High Commission in Islamabad today. Exact time of handing over is being worked out, reports CNBC-TV18 quoting Pakistan government sources. Varthaman's will return to India from Pakistan via Wagah border.
US again asks Pakistan to deny safe havens to terrorists

The US has reaffirmed its demand that Pakistan abide by its UN Security Council commitments to deny safe havens to terrorists and block their access to funds as it welcomed Islamabad's decision to release the captured Indian Air Force pilot.
YouTube has removed 11 video links pertaining to Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan during an air combat on Wednesday, on the request of the IT Ministry.
Pakistan violates ceasefire in Uri sector, civilian injured
One civilian was injured in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing towards Indian posts and villages in Kamalkote area of Uri in Baramulla district on Thursday evening, the officials said. (PTI)
There are about 35 Indian passengers stranded at Lahore Railway Station, as Indo-Pak Samjhauta Express has been cancelled by the Indian Railways, reports News18.
Parents of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman have left for Amritsar from Delhi airport. They had reached Delhi airport on Thursday night after Pakistan announced the repatriation of the IAF pilot in "gesture of peace", reports News18.
The United States welcomed Pakistan's decision to release captured Indian Air Force pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, in their custody.
Vladimir Putin calls PM Modi, conveys solidarity in fight against terrorism

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin called PM Modi and expressed his condolences over Pulwama terror attack, News18 has reported. Putin also conveyed solidarity of the people of the Russian Federation with the people of India in the fight against terrorism.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad at cabinet briefing: Indian being a democracy respects the freedom of speech and expression of its citizens. I make an appeal to all social media platforms – in light of the situations prevailing these days, they are expected to curtail the circulation of videos that are designed to hurt the morale of this country.

He also said that on February 27, the videos of the wounded pilot were being circulated on YouTube; and that he wrote to the social media channel to take those videos down. YouTube complied to the request.
JUST IN | UAE Crowne Prince Mohammed bin Zayed reaches out to the prime ministers of Indian and Pakistan.