Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan today announced in parliament that they will release Wing Commander Abhinandad Varthaman tomorrow as a gesture of peace.?Abhinandan had been detained following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control? (LoC) in which a Pakistani jet and an Indian jet were downed. He will cross into India through Wagah Border tomorrow.?
Khan cautioned that the situation should not "get out of hand" otherwise "Pakistan will have to retaliate".
Speaking on 'war hysteria' across the border, PM Khan said "I'm afraid there might be a miscalculation".
"Countries are ruined because of miscalculation. War is not a solution. If India takes any action, we will have to retaliate."
The prime minister reiterates that talks over Kashmir are important.
"I have a feeling that the Indian public does not agree with the current government's warmongering. If their media had seen what our media has seen over the past 17 years, they would not have created this war hysteria."
Khan said he tried to call Indian PM Narendra Modi on the phone because "escalation is not in our interests nor in India's".
While addressing the parliament, Khan said that although India had blamed suicide attacks on Islamic radicalism, it was a common tactic employed by Hindu fighters belonging to the Tamil Tigers prior to 9/11.
Reuters
"They weren't doing it because of their religion. Suicide attacks are a weapon of the weak. They are done out of desperation," said Khan.
Over the past few days, Pakistan has been insisting on dialogue between the two countries to bring the border tensions to halt after Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber attacked CRPF convoy in Pulwama on February 14 and killed more than 40 personnel. The attack was followed by cross border tensions with Indian and Paksitani jets exchanging fire.