Recalling the events of February 2019, the Pakistani opposition claimed that the Imran Khan government had released the commander of the Indian Air Force wing, Abhinandan Varthaman, “out of fear” of an Indian attack. Varthaman was taken into Pakistani custody after he landed on the other side of the border after an air fight between Indian and Pakistani pilots.
The leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), Ayaz Sadiq, said on Wednesday that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had signaled at an emergency meeting that “if Islamabad did not release Abhinandan Varthaman, India would attack Pakistan that night at 9 pm. ” reported the Pakistani media website Dunya News.
“I remember that Shah Mahmood Qureshi was at the meeting that Imran Khan had refused to attend and the Chief of the Army Staff, General Bajwa, entered the room, his legs were shaking and he was sweating. The foreign minister said, for God’s sake, let Abhinandan go, that India is about to attack Pakistan at 9 pm, “Sadiq said.
Varthaman was released by Pakistan after Prime Minister Imran Khan made the dramatic announcement in the National Assembly as a sign of “goodwill gesture.”
The PML-N leader told opposition leaders that it was Qureshi who “begged” for Abhinandan’s release during the parliamentary meeting, which was attended by leaders of the PPP, PML-N and army chief general Qamar Javed Bajwa.
The report further quoted Sadiq as saying that the opposition has so far supported the Khan-led PTI government on all issues, including Abhinandan, but will not do so again.
The IAF pilot was captured by Pakistani authorities on February 27 after his MiG 21 Bison sank during a dogfight with Pakistani aircraft. But before his plane was hit, he shot down a Pakistani air force F-16.
Shortly after his release, Varthaman, who was brought to Delhi via the Attari-Wagah border, had informed then-Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman that he had experienced “a lot of mental harassment” in the neighboring country. He had informed Sitharaman and Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa about the mental trauma.
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