Political parties of Jammu and Kashmir Thursday welcomedPakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s announcement that Wing CommanderAbhinandan Varthaman, who was captured after his MiG 21 went down, will bereleased on Friday.
National Conference president and former chief minister DrFarooq Abdullah welcomed Pakistan’s peace gesture to release captured Indianpilot.
He said this step is a much needed effort for peace and thisis how things will be brought closer between India and Pakistan.
“We hope India will also take such initiatives to ensurepeace and stability in the region,” he added.
“The decision to hand over Wing Commander Abhinandan isa great gesture & shouldn’t be seen in isolation. It also comes at a timewhen Pak could’ve chosen to further escalate an already tensed situation. I seeit as a mark of reconciliation. Our leadership should reciprocate,” PDPpresident Mehbooba Mufti wrote on her Twitter handle.
The former chief minister said the Pakistan prime ministerexhibited “real statesmanship”.
“It is time for our political leadership to step up& take measures to de-escalate the current situation. People of J&K areliving under unimaginable duress. How much longer will we suffer?” sheadded.
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah alsoexpressed happiness over the development.
“Very glad to know that Wing Commandar Abhinandan will be headinghome. I’ll wait for him to be back on Indian soil before I welcome him back butI’m greatly relieved that PM @ImranKhanPTI has announced the imminent releaseof our pilot,” he said.
Earlier, Omar, while reacting to US President Donald Trump’sstatement on Indo-Pakistan tensions, had said India seemed to have agreed todeescalate in return of the release of the IAF pilot.
“So the US has secured the release of our pilot &in turn India has agreed to de-escalate is how I read this statement fromTrump,” he said.
Trump, after his meeting with North Korean leader KimJong-un in Vietnamese capital Hanoi, had said there was “reasonablyattractive news” from India and Pakistan.
“We have been involved in trying to have them (Indiaand Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news. I think hopefullythat (tension) could be coming to an end,” he said.
IAS officer-turned-politician Shah Faesal welcomed thePakistan government’s decision to release the pilot, but expressedapprehensions that rabble-rousing by some TV channels may force Islamabad tochange its mind.
“Welcome home WC Abhinandan. And with this one gesture@ImranKhanPTI has proven himself to be a statesman.
“I am happy but I am scared. What if the euphoria inour TV war-rooms forces GoP to change his mind on WC Abhinandan? Those who areclaiming a diplomatic victory here rather than appreciating IK’s statesmanship,should wait till the pilot reaches home,” Faesal said.
Welcoming the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot’s release,Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone said, “Pakistan PM ImranKhan’s move to release Abhinandan is a welcome move. Conflicts per se are notirresolvable. Leadership makes a conflict resolvable or irresolvable.”
Pakistan will set free captured IAF pilot Wing CommanderAbhinandan Varthaman Friday as a peace gesture, its Premier Imran Khanannounced Thursday.