India, Feb 28: In a tight slap to Pakistan PM Imran Khan, the Indian Air Force personnel AVM RGK Kapoor today said Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's release from Pakistan's captivity is not an act of peaceful gesture, but it is their compulsion to obey norms under Geneva Convention.
Earlier, Imran had announced release of Abhinandan, who was captured yesterday by Pakistan military after his parachute drifted and landed in PoK area. The IAF Pilot had gone missing in an aerial dog fight with Pakistani jets that violated Indian airspace.
"We had captured the Indian pilot. As a peace gesture, we will release him tomorrow to India," Imran said in Pakistan's Parliament.
Kapoor said the IAF spotted a large package of Pakistani jets intruding into three sectors of Jammu and Kashmir near LoC on Feb 27.
The Pakistani jets were on a mission to target military assets on the Indian side, but the IAF, which employed Mig 21, Sukhoi and Mirage 2000 aircraft, intercepted and pushed the intruding Pakistani jets into their territory, he said.
The Pakistan Air Force used F-16, JF-17 and Mirage to attack the Indian installations, Kapoor said.
The PAF bombs which were dropped at the military facilities did not cause any damage them due swift IAF response, Kapoor said.
In the dog fight that ensued, a Pakistani F-16 jet was shot down by IAF's Mig-21 Bison and fell into PoK, he said.
However, the Mig 21 pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman ejected and his parachute drifted and landed into the PoK, after which the Pakistani military took him in custody, Kapoor said.
He also said Pakistan has been indulging in blatantly issuing incorrect statements with regards to the number of Indian aircraft shot down and its denial of using F-16 aircraft for attacking Indian military installations.
Kapoor also said India has enough evidence to show that F-16 aircraft was used by Pakistan.
One of the evidence is pieces of air-to air missiles found in East of Rajaouri district, he said adding that F-16 are the only aircraft which carries such weapons.
Major General Bahl said as many as 35 ceasefire violations have been committed by Pakistan at the LoC in the last two days.
The violations were increased after IAF air strikes launched at Balakot terror camp in PoK in which a large number of intended damages were done, Bahl said.
