Follow us on: facebook.com/dailypioneer RNI No.2016/1957, REGD NO. SSP/LW/NP-34/2019-21 @TheDailyPioneer instagram.com/dailypioneer/ Established 1864 OPINION 8 WORLD 12 SPORT 15 Published From DELHI LUCKNOW BHOPAL DON’T DESTROY N KOREA, US PLEDGE TO INDIA TO FACE BHUBANESWAR RANCHI RAIPUR ARAVALLIS KEEP TALKING AFTER MEET AUS IN 1ST ODI CHANDIGARH DEHRADUN Late City Vol. 155 Issue 59 LUCKNOW, SATURDAY MARCH 2, 2019; PAGES 16 `3 *Air Surcharge Extra if Applicable STOP USING PLASTIC: } PARINEETI } 13 VIVACITY www.dailypioneer.com HARDIK ABHINANDAN Two days after he was captured in Pakistan, Wing Commander Varthaman is back home amid cheers PNS n NEW DELHI/ATTARI POK. However, his MIG-21 ❝ Welcome Home Wing Commander ❝ India is proud of you. Hero finally walks was shot by the air defence of Abhinandan! The nation is proud of your back. A grateful nation salutes Wing wo days after his Mig-21 Pakistan and Varthaman eject- exemplary courage. Our Armed forces Commander Abhinandan. You are an TBison fighter jet was shot ed before the plane crash and are an inspiration for 130 crore Indians. inspiration for all of us ARVIND KEJRIWAL down and he was captured in landed in POK where he was Vande Mataram ❝ Very happy to see the safe return of IAF PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI Pakistan Occupied Kashmir captured. wing commander Abhinandan. AP (POK), Wing Commander The Pakistani action to ❝ Proud of you Wing Commander salutes the brave and spirited patriot Abhinandan Varthaman attack Indian military installa- #AbhinandanVarthaman. Entire nation N CHANDRABABU NAIDU returned to India on Friday tions came a day after the IAF appreciates your valour and grit. You ❝ Welcome home Abhinandan night via Attari-Wagah border jets destroyed terror group held your calm in face of adversity. in Amritsar. His release Jaish-e-Mohammed’s (JeM) Varthaman Welcome home sweet You are an inspiration...Salute. home MAMATA BANERJEE prompted massive celebration biggest training camp near Vande Mataram. Jai Hind ❝ across the country. Balakot deep inside Pakistan NIRMALA SITHARAMAN Join the nation in warmly welcoming The released pilot dressed early on Tuesday. back our hero Wing Commander ❝ in khaki trousers and a dark It came 12 days after the Wing Cdr Abhinandan, your dignity, Abhinandan Varthaman! Your resolu- jacket set foot on Indian soil JeM claimed responsibility for poise and bravery made us all proud. teness and poise in the face of adver- shortly after 9 pm from Pakistan a suicide attack on a CRPF con- Welcome back and much love sity makes me proud as an Indian. Welcome RAHUL GANDHI after being handed over to India voy in Kashmir’s Pulwama, back son! Jai Hind AMARINDER SINGH on other side, where he was killing 40 soldiers. accompanied by Indian air Pakistan Prime Minister look forward to his return Air and not through the Attari- mony held at the Attari-Wagah attaché and a woman official of Imran Khan had announced in Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor, Wagah land border, official border front along the India- Pakistan foreign office. He was Parliament there on Thursday assistant chief of staff (space) sources said Friday. Pakistan border in Punjab was whisked away from Attari bor- about the decision to release had told a news conference in They said hours after Khan cancelled for Friday in view of der to avoid media glare. the captured pilot as a “peace New Delhi. Asked if the IAF announced the decision to Varthaman’s release by Pakistan Hundreds of people had gath- Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as he is released by Pakistan authorities at Wagah gesture” and the “first step” to saw it as a goodwill move, release Varthaman, India con- at this frontier, the BSF said. ered there since morning to border on the Pakistani side on Friday PTI open negotiations with India. Kapoor had said “we see it as veyed to Islamabad that he be A senior official of the have a glimpse of Varthaman. “In our desire for peace, I a gesture in consonance with sent back via the aerial route. force said the martial ceremo- He will undergo a medical during his captivity and details attempted to destroy the doc- after it tried to target an ammu- announce that tomorrow the Geneva Convention.” However, late in the night, ny was called off due to admin- check-up at military hospital and of interrogation by the Pakistan uments in his possession by nition point of the Indian (Friday) and as a first step to Justifying the Pakistani aer- Pakistan conveyed to India istrative requirements. then flown in a special aircraft Armed forces. Since Varthaman stuffing them in his mouth. Army. The Pakistani jets earli- open negotiations Pakistan will ial strike, Khan had said in that the pilot will be returned Officials said it was esti- to New Delhi. He will meet his was in custody for a brief peri- His plane was shot down er had dropped bombs at the be returning the IAF officer in Parliament on Thursday, “the through the Attari-Wagah bor- mated that over 20,000 people family, including his wife, a od and most probably blind- after Varthaman successfully brigade headquarters of the our custody.” only purpose of our strike was der and India’s request could could gather on the Indian side retired IAF officer, and father, folded to prevent him from brought down a F-16 of Army in Rajouri but there was The IAF said on Thursday to demonstrate our capability not be heeded to, the sources to welcome IAF pilot and it Air Marshal S Varthaman observing the details of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) which no damage. it was happy that Varthaman and will. We did not want to said. India was also mulling could be a security nightmare. (retired) now settled in Chennai. place of his custody, the debrief- had intruded into Indian air- During the aerial engage- was returning home but dis- inflict any casualty on India as sending a special aircraft to Hundreds of people had The IAF authorities will then ing will be short, they said. space in Rajouri sector on ment close to the Line of missed suggestions it was a we wanted to act in a respon- Pakistan, the sources said. flocked the Attari border since debrief the pilot in New Delhi. Reports from Pakistan Wednesday at about 10.30 am. Control (LoC) between the goodwill gesture insisting it was sible manner.” Meanwhile, Varthaman was finally driven early Friday morning to catch Sources said the debriefing media indicate that after the The IAF pilot was part of SU-30 and MIG-21s of the IAF in line with Geneva reports in New Delhi suggest- to the border in a Pakistani mil- a glimpse of the IAF pilot. procedure entails getting first IAF pilot was shot down and combat air patrol which had and F-16s of the PAF, Convention. “We are very ed that Pakistan turned down itary vehicle before being hand- Hence, it was decided to call the person account from the pilot beaten up by the locals in POK intercepted the Pakistan jets in Varthaman chased one F-16 happy Abhinandan will be a request by India to send ed over to the Indian officials. ceremony off on Friday so that about the sequence of events opposite Rajouri sector, he Narian in Naushera, Rajouri and shot it down and it fell in freed tomorrow (Friday) and back Varthaman by aerial route The Daily Retreat cere- nothing untoward happens. Terrorism destabilising regions: Sushma ‘Good to be back She is 1st Indian Minister to address 57-Islamic nations OIC meet; Pak Min skips summit in protest PTI n ABU DHABI the joint session of Parliament, in my country’ adding that lower ranking offi- n a major diplomatic cials would attend to represent New Delhi: "It is good to be February 27 after an air combat Staff, told a posse of reporters Iachievement, India on Friday Pakistan’s interests. back in my country," was the between the air forces of the two that the pilot will be taken for for the first time addressed the “Terrorism and extrem- first reaction of IAF pilot Wing countries, a day after New Delhi a detailed medical examination Organisation of Islamic ism bear different names and Commander Abhinandan had conducted counter-terror as he was subjected to lot of Cooperation (OIC) meeting labels. It uses diverse causes. Varthaman as he set his foot operations in Pakistan's Balakot. stress during his nearly three- here, and External Affairs But in each case, it is driven by back on Indian soil. This was "We are happy to have him day captivity. Minister Sushma Swaraj assert- distortion of religion, and a stated by an official quoting back," said a top IAF officer "He will be taken for a ed that terrorism is destroying misguided belief in its power to Varthaman after he received shortly after Varthaman was detailed medical checkup. The lives, destabilising regions and succeed. The fight against ter- the pilot at the Attari-Wagah handed over to Indian author- officer has had to eject from a putting the world at great peril. rorism is not a confrontation border soon after his release by ities. Reading out a brief state- plane which would have put his India’s participation came against any religion,” Swaraj, Pakistan. Varthaman was cap- ment, Air Vice Marshal RG K body under immense strain," despite strong demand by who is the first Indian Minister tured by Pakistani authorities on Kapoor, assistant chief of Air said Kapoor. PTI Pakistan to rescind the invita- to address the meeting of the 57 tion to Sushma to address the Islamic countries, said.