The Prime Minister of Pakistan – Imran Khan has said that that Pakistan will release the Wing Commander – Abhinandan, tomorrow, i.e., Friday, March 1, 2019, as a peace gesture.
Addressing the joint session at Parliament, he said, “In our desire of peace, I announce that, and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will release the Indian Air Force officer in our custody tomorrow.”
He also said, “I tried to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as I want to de-escalate prevailing tension between the two countries. I appeal to India and Narendra Modi not to escalate the situation further. It would not be in favour of either India or Pakistan given the kind of weapons the two countries have.”
However, he also said that de-escalation efforts should not be seen as a weak gesture.
For the records, the President of United States (U.S.) had earlier hinted that escalation between India and Pakistan may end soon.
Trump said, “We have been involved in trying to help them (India and Pakistan) stop and we have some reasonably decent news.”
The Foreign Minister of Pakistan – Shah Mahmood Qureshi said, “We are ready for every eventuality. If they give priority to peace, we are ready for peace. If they prioritise dialogue, we are ready for dialogue.”
Qureshi also confirmed that Pakistan has received a dossier on the Pulwama Attack wherein 40 Central police Reserve Forces (CRPF) personnel were killed.
