Pakistan may consider returning pilot Abhinandan upon India's request: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi assured on Wednesday saying, “Pakistan, with an open heart, may consider the option of returning captured pilot Abhinandan, if India makes a request.”

Speaking to ARY News program Power Play, the minister gave a message to the family of the captured Indian pilot and ascertained that Pakistan is taking a good care of Abhinandan, as “we are a responsible country.”

He further said Prime Minister Imran Khan can mull over the decision to return Abhinandan, if India makes a formal request in this regard. “We are ready to take any step that benefits the humanity,” Qureshi added.

The foreign minister said, “I assure the Indian nation their pilot is completely safe. He is being provided all medical and other facilities in Pakistan.”

The international community wishes to see peace between two nuclear-armed states, Qureshi asserted.

Pakistan military on Wednesday released a video statement of a captured Indian pilot, hours after shooting down two Indian Air Force jet, he was flying in.

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) after striking down two Indian fighter jets arrested two of the pilots on Feb 27, who ejected themselves after being hit in the airspace of Pakistan in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

“I’m wing commander Abhinandan and my service number is 27981,” the arrested Indian pilot said in his video statement.

I’m a flying pilot of the Indian air force (IAF), he continued in his statement.