The picture of downed Indian jet, Wing Commander Abhinandan taking tea, has gone viral with calls for taking “chai” together instead of warring, Credit: Radio Pakistan
In the midst of Pakistan-India military standoff, Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced that Islamabad would release the pilot of the downed Indian fighter jet on Friday as a peace gesture.
Pakistan on Wednesday shot down two Indian aircraft near the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region and captured pilot of one of the planes, Wing Commander Abhinandan.
The Pakistani action was a retaliation to Indian incursion into Pakistani territory, which New Delhi said targeted a Balakot camp of Jash e Mohammad, a militant group, which reportedly claimed responsibility for February 14 Pulwama attack.
In a speech to the joint session of Pakistani Parliament, Imran Khan wanred India against exacerbating tensions
“Don’t take this any further, Pakistan will be forced to retaliate.”
“I hope the international community will play its part to ensure the situation does not escalate beyond this,” the prime minister added.
In video message, #Abhinandan says he is very impressed by attitude of #PakistanArmy , this is what he would expect from Indian Armyhttps://t.co/OLBkUKprcu#PakistanStrikesBack #PakistanArmyZindabad #SayNoToWar #PakistanAirForceOurPride #PakistanZindabaad @OfficialDGISPR pic.twitter.com/Ewz7SdbaoY
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) February 27, 2019
The Indian fighter pilot, who has 16 years of experience, is from the southern city of Chennai (formerly known as Madras).
His capture is being seen as a major setback for India in the standoff, that has worried the international community.
Pakistan Wednesday shot down two Indian aircraft near the Line of Control inside Azad Kashmir, a day after India carried out incursions into the country.
Pakistan-India tensions have been soaring between two nuclear-armed neighbors since a February 14 militant attack that killed 40 Indian security personnel in Pulwama.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and extremist groups backing his BJP government have been engaged in building up war hysteria in South Asia.
A map zooming on Pakistan and its neighbors
sourced from a larger : CIA world map
While Khan has been all along counseling restraint and dialogue, Modi, who had been an international pariah before his 2014 election, has adopted an aggressive posture with an eye on his campaign for Indian national polls due in a few months.
The UN, US, China and the international community have watched the South Asian escalation wearily and analysts say only a dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir dispute and militancy can give peace a chance.
Meanwhile, an image of the Indian pilot taking a cup of tea during a talk with Pakistani officials has gone viral with social media commentators and public figures calling for Pakistan and India taking “chai” together instead of going to war.
Indian PM Modi was a tea seller and social media is rife with suggestions that he and Pakistani PM Khan should sit down for talks over a cup of tea.
