Manend Team 
ISLAMABAD, (MANEND NEWS): Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander
Abhinandan Varthaman believed there is “no reason” for Pakistan and
India to continue with hostilities and called for peace between the two
neighbours.
“I see no reason for us to continue with any kind of hostilities,”
Abhinandan can be heard saying in a new video surfaced on Saturday
on the occasion of the second anniversary of Operation Swift Retort.
The IAF pilot can be heard saying in the video that war happens
between countries when “there is no peace”. He adds that he wants to
live in a peaceful environment. “I do not know what we should do to
achieve peace but I only know that there should be peace,” says the
wing commander.
During the video, the wing commander also spoke about Kashmir and
said that neither he nor the Pakistanis know “what is happening to a
Kashmiri”. “We must think with calm heads,” says the pilot.
“I saw both countries when I was coming down on a parachute, and I
could not differentiate between the two countries from above,” the
Indian pilot observes. He tells his interviewer that both countries are
“beautiful”.
“When I fell down I did not know whether I was in Pakistan or my own
country India. To me, both countries looked the same, the people
looked the same as well,” says the pilot.
The pilot said that he was badly injured when he ejected from his
aircraft and once he landed he was not able to move. He added that
after landing, he tried finding out which country he was in.
“When it looked to me that I was not in my country, I tried running,”
says the Indian pilot, adding that a “charged” crowd tried capturing
him as well but he was saved by the Pakistan Army.
“Within that moment, two soldiers of the Pakistan Army came and
captured me and saved me from there. One captain of the Pakistan
Army came and he saved me from these people.”
The Indian pilot says that after his capture, he was taken by the
Pakistani captain to his unit, where he was given first aid.
“After that, I was taken to the hospital where I was examined and
more aid was given to me,” the pilot recalls. Following the events, the
wing commander remarked that he found the Pakistan Army to be a
“very fine”, “professional” and “chivalrous” force. “I’m very impressed
by the chivalry displayed by the Pakistani Army.”
It is worth mentioning here that Abhinandan was arrested on Feb 27,
2019, after his aircraft was shot down by the PAF upon violating
Pakistani airspace. He was initially captured by locals in Azad Kashmir
before being taken into custody by Pakistan Army personnel. Videos of
his capture showed army soldiers and officers intervening forcefully to
save him from a crowd of angry citizens.
A wide cross-section of the Pakistani citizenry had subsequently called
for him to be treated with respect and dignity. He was later handed
over in a gesture of peace to India at the Wagah border on March 1,
2019.
