IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has been returned to India at the Wagah-Attari border, two days after being captured by Pakistan during an intense aerial dogfight.
The Wing Commander’s family reached Delhi from Chennai last evening. The Border Security Force (BSF) has cancelled today’s flag-lowering and retreat ceremony at the border in view of the IAF pilot’s return to avoid tensions.
Pakistan had turned down a request by India to send back the Wing Commander by aerial route and not through the Attari-Wagah land border.
Officials said hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the decision to release Varthaman, India conveyed to Islamabad that he be sent back via the aerial route.
However, late in the night, Pakistan conveyed to India that the pilot will be returned through the Attari-Wagah border and India's request could not be heeded to, the sources said.