Pak army chief feared ‘hard action’ by India if IAF pilot not returned: Ex-envoy
He also claimed that then Pakistan PM Imran Khan wanted to speak to PM Modi but the latter didn't take his call.
He also claimed that then Pakistan PM Imran Khan wanted to speak to PM Modi but the latter didn't take his call.
Varthaman was captured by the Pakistani Army on February 27, 2019 after his MiG-21 Bison jet was shot down in a dogfight with the Pakistani jets. Before his jet was hit, he downed a Pakistani F-16 fighter.
PML-N leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had said that "legs were shaking and forehead perspiring" at a meeting of Pakistan's top leaders wherein Foreign Minister pleaded to release Wing Commander Abhinandan.
Abhinandan Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra gallantry medal, one of India’s top military honours, on Independence Day.
Sachin, the former Indian captain and one of the all-time greats of the game, was conferred with the Group Captain rank in September 2010.
The 87th Air Force Day was also marked by aerial displays of newly inducted Apache attack choppers and the heavy-lift twin-rotor transport Chinook helicopter besides other aircraft.
The Indian Air Force Chief is also a MiG-21 pilot and had flown the planes during the 1999 Kargil war while commanding the 17 Squadron, during the war.
Varthaman became the first IAF pilot to shoot down an F-16 fighter jet during an aerial combat with the Pakistani Air Force.
Ghafoor also dismissed a statement by the Indian Chinar Corps commander - in which he accused Pakistan of being "involved in disrupting the peace in Kashmir Valley" - as "usual blatant lies".
India's Star TV has been running an advertisement where an Indian supporter describes himself as Pakistan's "abbu" (father), referring to India's domination over their rivals in the showpiece event.
