His comments came after the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), Ayaz Sadiq, told the National Assembly that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had signaled at a major meeting that if Pakistan did not release wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman, India would attack Pakistan. “That night at 9 pm.”
“Abhinandan’s father and I served together. So when Abhinandan was kicked out, I told him that we couldn’t get Ahuja back, but that we will definitely get Abhinandan back. During the Kargil war, my flight commander Ahuja was captured and shot dead. That was playing on my mind. I told him there are two parts. The main pressure on Pakistan was diplomatic and political. But there was also a military stance, “Dhanoa told ANI.
“The way he (Pakistani MP) is saying that ‘Par’ kaanp rahe the ‘(legs were shaking). It’s because the military posture was very offensive … God forbid if there is a military accident on the 27th and it hits some of our military installations, we were in a position to finish off their advance brigades. They know what our capacity is, “he said.
Wing Commander Varthaman had shot down a Pakistani F-16 aircraft, which had transgressed into Indian airspace during a dogfight between the Indian and Pakistani air forces on February 27, 2019, and in the process, his aircraft crossed to the Pakistani side and was shot. down. Abhinandan was returned to India from the Attari-Wagah border on March 1, 2019.
Dhanoa, who was the chief of the Indian Air Force when the airstrikes took place in Pakistan, said that the Indian army could not attack to secure the liberation of Abhinandan, but could do so to pressure the Pakistani army.
“But that decision is political. If we have to go to war. Suppose the attack on ’27 has been successful, then to what extent do we respond? Do we respond with a full-scale war or just by attacking their advanced brigades in front of It’s a political decision, “he said.
The former IAF chief said that Balakot’s attack had made Jaish-e-Mohammad and his Pakistani handlers fear that India may attack them in Pakistan’s Occupied Kashmir (PoK) as well as in Pakistan.
“Until the Indian elections ended, there was nothing because they knew that the response was going to be very fast. They deployed us in this way that we were able to respond in a very short time. It is very good for morale that they released him.” in such a short time and returned unharmed, “he said.
Abhinandan has been awarded the Vir Chakra on Independence Day by President Ram Nath Kovind for his exemplary bravery.
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