Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced that he has ordered the release of the Indian pilot captured earlier this week in a shoot-down over Indian airspace. Khan described his return as a “gesture for peace.”
The pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was released on Friday. On Wednesday, his MiG-21 was shot down in Pakistani airspace. He was subsequently beaten up by a mob of locals before being captured by the Pakistani military.
The shoot-downs are part of several days of escalating violence along the Line of Control, with the two large, nuclear-armed states escalating their military action, and describing themselves to remain “on high alert.”
Though this release has clearly eased a lot of the tensions, military on neither side seems willing to admit it. India’s military says they “welcome” the release of their pilot, but said they would not say if they think this will amount to a deescalation of the conflict itself.
It seems likely, however, that this will have something of a calming effect going forward. Right now, both militaries are eager to present the conflict is unstoppable, and totally the other side’s fault, but India and Pakistan have had such engagements many times, and the hope is that cooler heads will once again prevail.
… Coincidentally, this crisis eases just as Trump happens to end his summit with Kim early.
Adding more intrigue to the Hanoi meeting than one might have expected.
You are 100% right Sir, Trump is the main backer of Heinous Murderer A War Criminal India’s Prime Minister Narender Modi, who is committing Worst Atrocities through His War Crime Committer Forces on Innocent People of India’s Occupied Kashmir.
Modi is a real piece of work. That Indian pilot’s mustache, tho…
If they could just dial down the Hindutva a bit, it might help.
” release of the Indian pilot captured earlier this week in a shoot-down over Indian airspace”.
Dear Sir: Jason Ditz, Indian Pilot was Shot Down on Pakistan’s Airspace not Indian. Moreover, Narender Mosi, A Heinous Murderer now A War Crimes Committer along with Coward India’s War Crime Committing Terrorist Forces are Doing Worse Atrocities against Innocent People of Indian Held Kashmir, was Previously Denied Visa to America and Many European Countries, is Darling of President Trump. So, actually President Trump Must be Condemned for Supporting Today’s Living Hitler: Indian Prime Minister Narender Modi.
Great Man Iran Khan has lived up to my high expectations and shown the world he IS the statesman we all assumed he would be. Leaving the high life of London for Pakistan and working his way up to Prime Minister of Pakistan was no easy task. The ruling kleptocracy he ousted had no love for the ordinadry people but smug contempt. Khan gave large sums of his own personal wealth to project’s for the well being and betterment of ordinary Pakistani people. He talked a good game, and now he has delivered for Pakistan for the whole world to see. Let’s hope Modi can accept this gesture of good will, and find in himself some reciprocal gesture which raises the level of dialogue out of the dungeon and into the relm of statesmanship. My congratulations to Minister Khan for taking this big step in constructive reaction in the bad situation of deadly terrorism’s aftermath. It’s now time for India to present the evidence which led it to believe that the terrible attack was somehow supported by this new government of Iran Khan. Past government involvement with any such events is not an acceptable indicator of any complicity by this new Khan administration.
Dear Sir: You are right to acknowledge the good gesture of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, but, you may not know that India’s Prime Minister Narender Modi: Previously, A Proven Heinous Murderer of Minorities & Low Cast Hindus, currently, along with Coward War Crime Committing Terrorist India’s Forces are Performing Despicable Atrocities against The Innocent People (Children, Rapes of Little Girls, Women and Old Men) in India’s Occupied Kashmir, who are Demanding Right of Self Determination, Granted to Them by UN Security Council Unanimously and also Promised by India’s then Prime Minister Nehru but is Denied Now by India with The Criminal Support of U.S.A., whereas, Pakistan is The Country which Made U.S.A. sole Super Power by Defeating Russia in Afghanistan but U.S.A. administration has Become A Traitor towards American Friend, Pakistan. so,Sir, it is The Americans, who are Responsible for not Condemning India’s War Crimes on People of IOK and not Putting Sanctions on War Criminal India & Her Murderer PM Narender Modi.