The Indian air force Thursday said it is very happy thatcaptured pilot wing commander AbhinandanVarthaman is returning home butdismissed suggestions it was a goodwill gesture and insisted that was in linewith the Geneva Conventions.
“We are very happy Abhinandan will be freed tomorrow andlook forward to his return,” Air vice marshal R G K Kapoor, assistant chief ofAir Staff, told a news conference. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announcedin Parliament on Thursday that Varthaman would be released on Friday as a”peace gesture”. Asked if the IAF sees it as a goodwill move, Kapoor said, “Wesee it as a gesture in consonance with the Geneva Conventions.”
He was addressing the media along with the representativesof the Army and the Navy, who both said the armed forces are on high alert andready to meet any security challenge on land and sea. Kapoor said it was up tothe political leadership to decide when and how to release evidence of theBalakot strike’s success.
He was responding to a question on the skepticism in somequarters about whether IAF fighters had hit the intended targets. Kapoor saidthere is credible information and evidence that “we hit the intended targets”and it was premature to assess the casualties and damage.
The IAF showed parts of Amraam missiles as proof thatPakistan used F-16 aircraft to attack Indian military establishments onWednesday. Pakistan lied that no F-16 was used but there was enough evidence,Kapoor said. Stating that Pakistan aircraft targeted military installations, headded that PAF bombs were unable to damage any of India’s defenceinstallations.
Addressing the gathering, Indian army’s major general SSMahal said escalation of tensions had been done by Pakistan but India wasprepared for any contingency “if the enemy provoked it”. Mechanised forces wereput on standby and troops were ready to deal with any security challenge, hesaid. Rear admiral of the Indian Navy Dalbir Singh Gujral said the force was ina high state of readiness to deal with any Pakistan maritime misadventure.