India / Told Abhinandan's father 'We'll get your son back': Ex-IAF chief

New Delhi: On Thursday, Former Air Force Chief BS Dhanoa responded to the remarks made by Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq and said that India was ready to wipe out forward brigades of Pakistan. “Our military posture was very offensive,” he added.

In a statement to ANI, he said, “Firstly me and Abhinandan’s father go back a very long time.” When Abhinandan was captured, the way his flight commander Ahuja in the Kargil war was captured and shot on the grounds was playing in his head. He added, “So I told him, I said Sir, I know we couldn’t get Ahuja back, but we will definitely get Abhinandan back. But now you see there are two parts to it. The main pressure on Pakistan was diplomatic and political, but there was also military posture.”

“The way he is saying that ‘pair kaamp rahe the’ something like that it is because military posture was very offensive.” He said all three armed services Army, Navy, and Air Force, were prepared for the action against Pakistan. “God forbid their misadventure on 27th had hit some of our military installation we were in a position to wipe out their forward brigades. They also know what our capability is,” Dhanoa further added.

Pakistan’s Ayaz Sadiq’s statement

In a recent statement in the National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq said that the Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a meeting that if Pakistan did not release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, India would initiate an attack on Pakistan at 9 PM that night.

The former IAF chief said that after the Balakot strike, Jaish-e-Mohammad and its handlers in Pakistan were scared that India can hit in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) as well as in Pakistan. Though the Indian Military could not strike to secure Abhinandan’s release, it could do it to add pressure on the Pakistan military. He said, “But that decision is political. Whether we need to go to war. Suppose strike on 27th had been successful, then to what extent do we respond. Do we respond with a full-scale war or only hitting their forward brigades opposite us? This is a political decision.”

Wing Commander Varthaman’s capture

Wing Commander Varthaman had shot down a Pakistani aircraft F-16 that had entered into the Indian airspace during a dog fight between Indian and Pakistani air force on 27th February 2019. During the process, his aircraft crossed over to the Pakistani side and was shot down. He was returned to India on 1st March 2019 from Attari-Wagah border. He was awarded Vir Chakra on Independence Day by President Ram Nath Kovind for his exemplary bravery.