CHANDIGARH: Pakistan released Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman late on Friday night through the Wagah-Attari joint checkpost, around 60 hours after he was captured across the Line of Control after shooting down a Pakistan Air Force F-16 jet.
Wearing a white shirt, blue blazer and grey pants with visible scars on his face, Abhinandan crossed over to India around 9.20 pm.
“Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has been handed over to us. As per standard procedure, a detailed medical check-up will be done. As he had to eject from a plane, his body is under stress,” said Air Vice Marshal R G K Kapoor.
Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar Shiv Dular Singh Dhillon said, “As he crossed over, he was smiling and said ‘it is good to be back home.’” Abhinandan was later flown to Delhi after the mandatory medical examination.
The handing over to India was, however, delayed by many hours.
“We were earlier given to understand that he would be handed over at 6 pm. We have not questioned Pakistan about the delay... We are happy to have him. As a special case, the border was opened and he crossed the zero line into India,” said Dhillon.
The reason for the delay was said to be exhaustive ‘paperwork’ by the Pakistani authorities before releasing him to India. Sources told this paper that there was some problem in the documentation and that is why his release was delayed. The Pakistani authorities changed the estimated time of release twice, sources added.
Abhinandan was brought by Pakistani authorities from Rawalpindi to Lahore and from there to the Batapur barracks, which is a few kilometres from the Wagah border. From Batapur, he was brought to the Wagah-Attari border after paperwork, said sources.
Senior officials of the Indian Air Force, Army, BSF, Punjab government and police were waiting at the border since afternoon.
The mood of the day was patriotism with people waving the tricolour, singing songs, beating drums and breaking into bhangra dance. Hundreds of people had thronged Attari to catch a glimpse of the brave fying officer. Many were carrying his pictures.
Barely one kilometre away from the Indo-Pak border, people raised patriotic slogans such as ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’. A young man from a nearby village was seen carrying a huge garland, while an elderly person was seen beating a dhol. Another man had come all the way from Rajasthan to welcome Abhinandan.
Senior deputy mayor of Amritsar Raman Bakshi was also seen singing patriotic songs.
Many from the crowd hit out at Pakistan, warning it to stop abetting terrorism forthwith or else be prepared to face the consequences.
The inordinate delay in releasing Abhinandan created some anxiety. Some people, who had been waiting for hours, left by 6.30 pm.
Earlier, Pakistan has turned down India’s request to fly Abhinandan to Delhi in a special aircraft which India was planning to send over.