Almost three days after he was captured and taken into Pakistani custody, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman crossed the Attari-Wagah border and was handed over to Indian authorities at around 9:20 pm on 1 March.
Bollywood celebs such as Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Shah Rukh Khan and others took to social media to express their relief over the news of the pilot’s return. “Our hero is home,” wrote Alia. Shahid Kapoor tweeted, “What a blessed visual to see our hero back home.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had earlier announced that Pakistan will release the captured IAF pilot as a peace gesture.
In an interview with Pinkvilla actor Kangana Ranaut said,“It is sad that some people trying to belittle Abhinandan’s heroism by showing pity and foolish concerns, When our wing commander Abhinandan landed in Pakistan he tried to swallow important documents without being concerned about his own life his only priority was National security, but some people back home tried to create sense of insecurity and threat, every army man chooses to serve the nation willingly and is well aware of the consequences, that is why they are true heroes and deserves utmost love and respect, we should stay calm and let the government do what is right for the nation, our army is ready to deal with any situation, our heroes are our saviours we are safe in their hands, eagerly awaiting Abhinandan’s return.”
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