Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman and conveyed to him that the entire nation is proud of his courage and determination, officials said. During the meeting at a medical facility of the Indian Air Force, Varthaman is understood to have explained to Sitharaman details about his nearly 60 hour stay in Pakistan. (PTI)
Supporters of BJP wear masks of IAF pilot Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman and PM Narendra Modi ride their motorbikes during a rally to celebrate after Abhinandan was released by Pakistan, in New Delhi. (Image: Reuters)
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman underwent a series of medical tests as part of a "cooling down" process, officials said. Early on March 2 morning, Varthaman met his immediate family members as well as several top officials of the Indian Air Force, they said. (PTI)
Resolution submitted in Pak parliament to endorse PM Imran Khan for Nobel Peace Prize
A resolution was submitted in Pakistan Parliament on Saturday to endorse Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize due to his efforts to de-escalate recent tension with India.
The resolution stated that Khan's decision of releasing Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan ​Varthaman has de-escalated the hostility between Pakistan and India.
According to the resolution, Khan acted responsibly in the current tension and "deserves the Nobel Peace Prize".(PTI)
Indian pilot not released under 'any pressure': Pak Foreign Minister
Pakistan was not under "pressure" or "any compulsion" to release Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday, a day after the IAF Wing Commander returned home.
India has been maintaining that the Pakistani decision is in consonance with the Geneva Conventions.
Pakistan was under intense pressure from the US, the UAE and Saudi Arabia to de-escalate the tensions with India in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack and release the Indian pilot.
In an interview with BBC Urdu, Qureshi said: "We wanted to convey to them (India) that we do not want to increase your sorrow, we do not want your citizens to be miserable, we want peace".
He dismissed the notion that the captured IAF pilot was released owing to pressure or as a compulsion. (PTI)
Just In | Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has been shifted to an Indian Air Force hostel after a medical check-up at a military hospital, reports NDTV quoting sources.
A baby born on Friday evening, when IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was about to be released by Pakistan, was named after him by a family in Rajasthan's Alwar district.
"My daughter-in-law delivered baby boy last evening and we named him Abhinandan in honour of the IAF pilot. We are proud of the pilot and therefore we named him (the baby) Abhinandan," Janesh Bhutani, grandfather of the chid, told reporters. (PTI)
UK stands shoulder-to-shoulder with India in outrage over Pulwama attack: British MP Boris Johnson
Britain stands shoulder-to-shoulder with India in outrage over the Pulwama terror attack, and in determination to work towards defeating terrorism that threatens both the countries, British MP and former foreign secretary Boris Johnson has said.
"I'm sure I speak for millions of people in my own country when I say we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with India in outrage at the killings in Pulwama, and in our determination to work with you to defeat the terrorist foe that threatens us both," Boris Johnson, a former mayor of London was quoted as saying by PTI.
Meaning of Abhinandan will change now: PM Narendra Modi
"Abhinandan" used to mean welcome, but its meaning would change now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday in an apparent reference to the IAF pilot released by Pakistan.
The world takes note of what India does and the nation has the power to "change dictionary meanings", Modi said at a housing ministry event.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the return of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthman from captivity in Pakistan and called on the two countries to sustain the "positive momentum" and engage in further constructive dialogue. (PTI)
IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman is at the central medical establishment, he spent the night there, underwent a medical test, met his family briefly. The debrief will follow. (News18)
France has extended its complete solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism in all its forms, as it welcomed the easing of tensions between India and Pakistan and the release the IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman. (PTI)
IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman will be taken for a detailed medical checkup. The officer has had to eject from a plane which would have put his body under immense strain, said a News18 report quoting Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff.
Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as he is released by Pakistan authorities at Wagah border on the Pakistani side on March 1.
(Image: PTI)
Pakistan's PM Imran Khan was in Lahore to ensure 'smooth' handing over of Abhinandan Varthaman: Sources
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was present in Lahore to oversee the 'smooth' handing over captured Indian Air Force pilot to India at the Wagah border on Friday, said a PTI report quoting official sources.
Khan arrived in Lahore on Friday afternoon, a couple of hours before IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was brought to the Wagah border from Islamabad, amid high security.
Indian pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, stands under armed escort near Pakistan-India border in Wagah, Pakistan in this March 1, 2019 image from a video footage. (Courtesy: Reuters)
JUST IN: China welcomes release of Indian pilot Wg Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.
It's good to be back: Wg Cdr Abhinandan
JUST IN: "It is good to be back in my country," was the first reaction of IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as he set foot on Indian soil. This was stated by an official quoting Varthaman after he received the pilot at the Attari-Wagah border soon after his release by Pakistan, News18 reported.
Varthaman will undergo debriefing on Saturday, which will include his physiological as well as a physical check-up in the presence of officials from the military and Intelligence agencies.
BREAKING: Wg Cdr Abhinandan landed at Palam airport 15-20 minutes ago, was flown in from Amritsar on special BSF plane.
BREAKING: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has landed in New Delhi, will be taken for a medical check-up.
JUST IN: Wing Commander Abhinandan has reached Amritsar base camp. Possibly reunited with his family, multiple news reports suggest.
News reports suggest he will be debriefed in New Delhi tomorrow.
JUST IN: Chiefs of Indian Navy & Indian Air Force to get the highest Z-plus security cover in view of their heightened threat perception post-airstrikes on Jaish camp deep inside Pakistan.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman and conveyed to him that the entire nation is proud of his courage and determination, officials said. During the meeting at a medical facility of the Indian Air Force, Varthaman is understood to have explained to Sitharaman details about his nearly 60 hour stay in Pakistan. (PTI)
Supporters of BJP wear masks of IAF pilot Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman and PM Narendra Modi ride their motorbikes during a rally to celebrate after Abhinandan was released by Pakistan, in New Delhi. (Image: Reuters)
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman underwent a series of medical tests as part of a "cooling down" process, officials said. Early on March 2 morning, Varthaman met his immediate family members as well as several top officials of the Indian Air Force, they said. (PTI)
Resolution submitted in Pak parliament to endorse PM Imran Khan for Nobel Peace Prize
A resolution was submitted in Pakistan Parliament on Saturday to endorse Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize due to his efforts to de-escalate recent tension with India.
The resolution stated that Khan's decision of releasing Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan ​Varthaman has de-escalated the hostility between Pakistan and India.
According to the resolution, Khan acted responsibly in the current tension and "deserves the Nobel Peace Prize".(PTI)
Indian pilot not released under 'any pressure': Pak Foreign Minister
Pakistan was not under "pressure" or "any compulsion" to release Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday, a day after the IAF Wing Commander returned home.
India has been maintaining that the Pakistani decision is in consonance with the Geneva Conventions.
Pakistan was under intense pressure from the US, the UAE and Saudi Arabia to de-escalate the tensions with India in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack and release the Indian pilot.
In an interview with BBC Urdu, Qureshi said: "We wanted to convey to them (India) that we do not want to increase your sorrow, we do not want your citizens to be miserable, we want peace".
He dismissed the notion that the captured IAF pilot was released owing to pressure or as a compulsion. (PTI)
Just In | Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has been shifted to an Indian Air Force hostel after a medical check-up at a military hospital, reports NDTV quoting sources.
A baby born on Friday evening, when IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was about to be released by Pakistan, was named after him by a family in Rajasthan's Alwar district.
"My daughter-in-law delivered baby boy last evening and we named him Abhinandan in honour of the IAF pilot. We are proud of the pilot and therefore we named him (the baby) Abhinandan," Janesh Bhutani, grandfather of the chid, told reporters. (PTI)
UK stands shoulder-to-shoulder with India in outrage over Pulwama attack: British MP Boris Johnson
Britain stands shoulder-to-shoulder with India in outrage over the Pulwama terror attack, and in determination to work towards defeating terrorism that threatens both the countries, British MP and former foreign secretary Boris Johnson has said.
"I'm sure I speak for millions of people in my own country when I say we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with India in outrage at the killings in Pulwama, and in our determination to work with you to defeat the terrorist foe that threatens us both," Boris Johnson, a former mayor of London was quoted as saying by PTI.
Meaning of Abhinandan will change now: PM Narendra Modi
"Abhinandan" used to mean welcome, but its meaning would change now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday in an apparent reference to the IAF pilot released by Pakistan.
The world takes note of what India does and the nation has the power to "change dictionary meanings", Modi said at a housing ministry event.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the return of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthman from captivity in Pakistan and called on the two countries to sustain the "positive momentum" and engage in further constructive dialogue. (PTI)
IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman is at the central medical establishment, he spent the night there, underwent a medical test, met his family briefly. The debrief will follow. (News18)
France has extended its complete solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism in all its forms, as it welcomed the easing of tensions between India and Pakistan and the release the IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman. (PTI)
IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman will be taken for a detailed medical checkup. The officer has had to eject from a plane which would have put his body under immense strain, said a News18 report quoting Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff.
Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as he is released by Pakistan authorities at Wagah border on the Pakistani side on March 1.
(Image: PTI)
Pakistan's PM Imran Khan was in Lahore to ensure 'smooth' handing over of Abhinandan Varthaman: Sources
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was present in Lahore to oversee the 'smooth' handing over captured Indian Air Force pilot to India at the Wagah border on Friday, said a PTI report quoting official sources.
Khan arrived in Lahore on Friday afternoon, a couple of hours before IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was brought to the Wagah border from Islamabad, amid high security.
Indian pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan, stands under armed escort near Pakistan-India border in Wagah, Pakistan in this March 1, 2019 image from a video footage. (Courtesy: Reuters)
JUST IN: China welcomes release of Indian pilot Wg Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.
It's good to be back: Wg Cdr Abhinandan
JUST IN: "It is good to be back in my country," was the first reaction of IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as he set foot on Indian soil. This was stated by an official quoting Varthaman after he received the pilot at the Attari-Wagah border soon after his release by Pakistan, News18 reported.
Varthaman will undergo debriefing on Saturday, which will include his physiological as well as a physical check-up in the presence of officials from the military and Intelligence agencies.
BREAKING: Wg Cdr Abhinandan landed at Palam airport 15-20 minutes ago, was flown in from Amritsar on special BSF plane.
BREAKING: Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has landed in New Delhi, will be taken for a medical check-up.
JUST IN: Wing Commander Abhinandan has reached Amritsar base camp. Possibly reunited with his family, multiple news reports suggest.
News reports suggest he will be debriefed in New Delhi tomorrow.
JUST IN: Chiefs of Indian Navy & Indian Air Force to get the highest Z-plus security cover in view of their heightened threat perception post-airstrikes on Jaish camp deep inside Pakistan.