Punjab CM hails the release of captured pilot as a positive step

Chandigarh, 1st March'19: Some time after the Pakistan PM announced the release of Sqn Ldr Abhinandan yesterday in the joint session of Pakistani parliament, Punjab Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh expressed his wish of receiving the brave heart on the Wagah Border. He wrote the following on his twitter account:

“Dear @narendramodi ji , I’m touring the border areas of Punjab & I’m presently in Amritsar. Came to know that @pid_gov has decided to release #AbhinandanVartaman from Wagha. It will be a honour for me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumnus of the NDA as I am.” The Captain later said that what he said was completely spontaneous and straight from his soldier heart.

Dear @narendramodi ji , I’m touring the border areas of Punjab & I’m presently in Amritsar. Came to know that @pid_gov has decided to release #AbhinandanVartaman from Wagha. It will be a honour for me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumnus of the NDA as I am.

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) February 28, 2019

This morning, in an interview he said that the decision of the Pakistan Government to release the pilot was an absolute goodwill gesture. When asked about the Geneva Convention, he said that the Convention only gives rules about treatment of PoWs and not the release. This step by the Pakistan government is voluntary and should be taken as a positive step. Talking about the initial treatment received by the pilot on the other side of the border he said that there was nothing unusual in that as that is a common occurrence.

Whenever a soldier from the opposite party enters into the territory, this is the usual behaviour of the locals. It is the duty of the Army to rescue the fallen soldier, and that is what the Pakistan Army did. Though he seemed very optimistic about the turn of events, he said it was too soon to think that it is time to de-escalate. He seemed to be in favour of waiting for some more time.