Speaking in Pakistan’s National Assembly on Wednesday, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq claimed that fearing an attack by India, Imran Khan government had abruptly released Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman.
Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman landed in Pakistani custody on February 27, 2019 after his MiG 21 Bison went down during a dogfight with Pakistani fighter jets.
Sadiq said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had pointed out in in an important meeting with parliamentary leaders, including PPP and PML-N and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, that if Pakistan did not release Wg Cdr Abhinandan, India would attack Pakistan “that night by 9 pm.”
#Pakistan MP #AyazSadiq‘s sensational claim in Parliament:
Pakistan decided to release Wg Cdr #AbhinandanVarthaman fearing attack by #India. @MEAIndia @DefenceMinIndia @ImranKhanPTI #AbhinandanVideo: Social media pic.twitter.com/HwXgZz06zS
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) October 29, 2020
“I remember Shah Mahmood Qureshi was in the meeting in which Imran Khan had refused to attend and Chief of Army Staff General Bajwa came into the room, his legs were shaking and he was perspiring. Foreign Minister said for god’s sake let Abhinandan go, India’s about to attack Pakistan at 9 pm,” Sadiq recounted the sequence of events at the meeting. Dunya News quoted Sadiq making this sensational claim in Pakistan’s Parliament.
Wg Cdr Abhinanadan was released by Pakistan following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s dramatic announcement at the Assembly
Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman returned to India via Attari-Wagah border on March 1, 2019 and was awarded the Vir Chakra on Independence Day by President Ram Nath Kovind.
