Wing Commander Abhinandan handed over to Indian authorities

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has been handed over to Indian authorities. After being in Pakistan’s captivity for two days, Varthaman was handed over on Friday evening and was received by Indian Air Force authorities at the Attari-Wagah border. According to reports, he will be flown to Delhi from the Amritsar airbase.

Several news reports show that people started gathering at Wagah-Attari border to welcome Varthaman since 5 am in the morning.
Wing Commander Varthaman had shot down an aircraft of Pakistan Air Force in an aerial combat on Wednesday. The F-16, along with other PAF fighter aircrafts, had reportedly breached the Indian airspace and made attempts to target military installations. During the aerial engagement, Varthaman’s aircraft, a MiG 21, was also damaged. Subsequently, he ejected out of it and landed on the Pakistani side of the border, where he was taken into custody by the Pakistani Army.
The announcement related to the release Indian pilot was made by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan in Pakistan’s Parliament on Thursday. Khan had stated that Varthaman’s release was a “peace gesture”.

According to NDTV, Indian Airforce didn’t want Varthaman to be returned through the Attari-Wagah border. The channel also reported that Pakistan had denied India’s request returning the IAF pilot by plane. As per media reports, India wanted to save him from media glare and didn’t want to parade him in front of the media.