Punjab CM offers to receive Abhinandan at border, tweets to PM

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has offered to receive Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman at the border on his arrival from Pakistan.

The Chief Minister, who arrived here this evening as part of his tour of the border areas to take stock of the ground situation and build confidence among the people there, tweeted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi shortly after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's announcement that the IAF pilot would be released on March 1.

Captain Amarinder tweeted: "Dear Narendra Modi, I am touring the border areas of Punjab & I'm presently in Amritsar. Came to know that @pid_gov has decided to release #AbhinandanVartaman from Wagha. It will be a honour for me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumnus of the NDA as I am."

Captain Amarinder had earlier, in an informal interaction with media persons in Jalandhar, welcomed the announcement of Imran Khan and termed the decision to release Abhinandan as a goodwill gesture that could help ease the tensions at the border.

Following reports of the IAF pilot's capture by Pakistan, the Chief Minister had urged the Indian government to take all possible steps to secure his early released. He had also urged Pakistan to ensure the officer's safety and well-being as per the Geneva Convention.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister interacted with Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on Thursday at the Tarn Taran border amid tensions escalating between India and Pakistan after Pakistani Air Force violated Indian airspace over the Line of Control.

"I have come to meet the people and the forces deployed here. The morale is high in villages. I met BSF, Punjab Police and some units of the Army. All are in good shape, form and good spirits," the chief minister said.

"Interacted with @BSF_India personnel at the Tarn Taran border. Happy to see that their morale is high and they are prepared to meet any challenge. Punjab is prepared to do whatever may be needed in service to the country & I have assured them of all possible help from our side," he tweeted.