New Delhi: India has demanded “immediate and safe return” of an Indian Air Force pilot captured by Pakistan. In a protest note handed over to the Pakistani envoy, India has vociferously objected to the vulgar display of the injured IAF pilot in violation of the Geneva Convention.
The Ministry of External Affairs was provoked into making the demand after various videos circulated by Pakistan Army showed the pilot blindfolded and wounded; his arms were tied behind his back and he was being interrogated. The videos were quickly taken off. Later, a video showed the pilot sipping tea and declaring that “officers of the Pakistani army have looked after me well. They are thorough gentlemen.”
Security officials said the videos were released on internet as part of the mind games Pakistan was playing and netizens were advised to desist from sharing them on social media. The videos were released on WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. “The aim is to demoralise the forces and people,” the officials said.
The first video shows a man in a flight suit. “I am Wing Commander Abhinandan,” the man says, before revealing his service number and religion! There is no way of ascertaining whether the words had been put in his mouth and the entire sequence was doctored.
There is another video which seems to be from the IAF crash site. In it, locals are seen roughening up the officer. Incidentally, in the earlier video, the Wing Commander asserts that Pakistani army men saved him from the mob that was attacking him — another unusual comment for an IAF personnel to make.
Blindfolded, Varthaman is seen to be calm and clear as he speaks to his captors. After he had given them his service number, and identified himself as a Hindu, a grumpy officer demands — “What else?” Varthaman replied coolly:
“I’m sorry sir…that’s all I’m supposed to tell you.” Only this part of the video seems to ting true.
First, two, then only one pilot
There is only one pilot in Pakistan Army’s custody. This belated admission came after Islamabad bragged all day that two pilots had been arrested. While addressing a press conference, Pakistan military’s spokesperson Maj Gen Ghafoor had initially said, “Our ground forces have arrested two pilots; one of them was injured and has been shifted to Combined Military Hospital and, god-willing, he will be taken care of; the other one is with us.”
After playing mind games — much to the annoyance of the Indian establishment and ratcheting up tensions – came the confession. “There is only one pilot in Pakistan Army’s custody. Wing Commander Abhi Nandan is being treated as per norms of military ethics,” was Ghafoor’s cryptic tweet.
