INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image:Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was handed over to Indian officials near a border crossing with PakistanPakistan has freed an
Indian fighter pilot captured after his plane was shot down in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was handed
over to Indian officials on Friday at the only legal border crossing with Pakistan.Minutes earlier, the pilot said on Pakistani TV that he
was "very impressed" by the Pakistan army.On Thursday Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan said the pilot's release was a "peace gesture" to
India and Pakistan - both nuclear powers - claim all of Kashmir, but each controls only parts of it.The pilot is being hailed as a hero in
India, with fireworks being set off in the capital Delhi
Praising the pilot, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the nation was "proud of your exemplary courage".What does the pilot sayIn what
appeared to be an edited statement aired on Pakistan TV, the wing commander described how he was shot down and rescued from an "agitated"
crowd by Pakistani soldiers
"The Pakistan army looked after me really well, they are very professional," the pilot said while in uniform, adding that he saw potential
Image copyrightAFP/GettyImage caption
The video statement was released by Pakistan's military minutes before the pilot
walked across the border
On Friday evening, the pilot went through medical check-ups and was debriefed by India's military
in the capital Delhi.He will be reunited with his family this weekend, officials said.Back from the brinkRajini Vaidyanathan,
TheIndianSubcontinent South Asia correspondent in AmritsarFrom the early hours of the morning crowds began to build at the Indian side of
the Wagah border, the main crossing between India and Pakistan
Some were waving Indian flags, others had them painted on their cheeks
Today's events appear to have walked the nuclear neighbours back from the brink, but the underlying issues remain
India wants a firm commitment from Pakistan when it comes to flushing out militants on its soil - today the Pakistani foreign minister told
the TheIndianSubcontinent he would act on this
But Indian officials could be sceptical - having raised these concerns before
What led to this momentTensions between the two countries have escalated sharply in the past few weeks
On Tuesday, India carried out air strikes on what it said was a militant camp in Pakistan in retaliation for a suicide bombing that killed
at least 40 Indian troops in Indian-administered Kashmir on 14 February.A Pakistan-based group said it carried out the attack - the
deadliest to take place during a three-decade insurgency against Indian rule in Kashmir.Pakistan - which denies any involvement in the 14
February attack - said it had no choice but to retaliate to the Indian raids with air strikes on Wednesday
That led to a dogfight and the Indian fighter jet being shot down in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.Image:Life on both sides of the Kashmir
conflictWhat caused the tensions India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from Britain and partition in 1947
All but one were over Kashmir
Tens of thousands of troops remain positioned on either side of the border in the disputed region.The aerial attacks across the Line of
Control (LoC) dividing Indian and Pakistani territory are the first since a war in 1971.At the height of the tension Pakistan closed its
airspace, disrupting major air routes
Partial operations have now resumed at four main airports, with the full resumption of flights expected next week
"As a peace gesture we are releasing the Indian pilot tomorrow," Mr Khan told Pakistani lawmakers in the National Assembly on Thursday.On
Wednesday he pushed for talks with Delhi to prevent the risk of a "miscalculation" between the nuclear-armed neighbours.Image:Footage
appears to show wreckage from a downed Indian jetWhat happened to the pilotPakistan's military spokesman said that Pakistan fighter jets had
carried out "strikes" - exactly what they did remains unclear - in Indian-administered Kashmir on Wednesday.Two Indian air force jets then
responded, crossing the de facto border that divides Kashmir
"Our jets were ready and we shot both of them down," Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said.He said that one Indian pilot was in the custody of the
Image copyrightHindustan Times/GettyImage caption
Jubilant Indians celebrated the pilot's release in New Delhi
Images then circulated of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's capture, which were condemned for what appeared to be a physical
attack at the hands of residents in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, but also praised because of the actions of the Pakistani soldiers who
intervened to create a barrier.Pakistan's information ministry published - but subsequently deleted - a video showing the blindfolded pilot,
who could be heard requesting water, just after he had been captured
In later footage, he could be seen sipping tea from a cup without a blindfold
India's foreign ministry later issued a statement demanding the release of its fighter pilot and condemning the images, describing them as a
"vulgar display of an injured personnel".The pilot's family have not yet commented on the events, but footage shared on social media shows
passengers on a Chennai to Delhi flight cheering his parents
