No deal on captured IAF pilot, India wants him back at once: sources
India will not strike any deal with Pakistan over the Indian Air Force pilot it captured, government sources said, adding that New Delhi expected him to be returned immediately. The pilot was taken on Wednesday after an aerial battle in which the IAF shot down a Pakistani warplane.
India’s position
According to the sources, the government did not intend to ask for consular access. “We need him back,” they said, adding that if Pakistan believed it held a bargaining chip, it was mistaken. The sources said India was doing everything possible to bring the pilot home.
The government summoned Pakistan’s envoy and handed over a demarche demanding the pilot’s immediate and safe return. It also protested strongly against the way Pakistan had put the injured pilot on display, and told Islamabad it would be well advised to ensure that he came to no harm.
What happened next
The pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, was returned by Pakistan on 1 March 2019. The crisis followed the Pulwama attack of 14 February 2019 and the Indian Air Force strike at Balakot on 26 February 2019.
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Originally published on 28 February 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.
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