New Delhi: Time doesn’t seem to pass for Abhinandan Varthaman’s parents, former Air Marshall S Varthaman and Shobha Varthaman who are eagerly waiting for their son to arrive back in India. Both have already reached Amritsar and are en route to the Wagah border Friday where they are hoping to receive their son at around 2.00pm(IST).
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will also be present at the border to receive the IAF pilot who was captured by Pakistani troops Wednesday.
The Punjab CM had earlier in a tweet to Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that it would be an honour for him to receive Abhinandan. “Dear Modiji, I am currently touring the border areas of Amritsar. Came to know that the Pakistan government has decided to release Abhinandan Varthaman from Wagha. It will be an honour for him to go and receive him as he and his father are alumnus at the NDA as I am,” Singh had written on his Twitter handle.
Sources stated that Abhinandan will first be brought from Rawalpindi to Lahore. There he will be handed over to officials of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC will then bring the IAF Wing Commander to the Wagah-Attari border and hand him over to Indian authorities.
Meanwhile a huge crowd has already gathered at the Wagah-Attari border to accord a grand welcome to the brave pilot. The Attari checkpost is approximately 30kms from Amritsar and people since morning have started arriving there with drums, bugles, garlands and trumpets. Punjab Police personnel have already been deployed in huge numbers to keep the crowd in check.
Pakistan PM Imran Khan had earlier announced Thursday that the IAF pilot will be released as a ‘gesture of peace’. However, many feel that international pressure imposed by the US, Saudi Arabia and the UAE has forced Khan to release the captured IAF Wing Commander quickly.
Agencies
