'Pakistan will have to treat captured Wing Commander Abhinandan well'

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in a video grab

The already tenuous situation at the LOC was exacerbated on Wednesday when Pakistan downed an Indian MiG-21 and captured Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman alive. Amid worries of Abhinandan being tortured across the border, a former Indian Air Force Wing Commander, based in Bangalore, told mid-day, "We are sure Pakistan will treat him like a Prisoner of War (PoW) and will follow the Geneva Convention or they may have to face serious ramifications." The officer explained that though war has not been openly declared by both countries, the situation at the LOC has been extremely vulnerable for a while.

"What happened on Wednesday was an airborne battle, in retaliation, where we had brought down a Pakistan fighter plane F-16, which was to target the Indian military brigade headquarters in the area and had attempted an unidentified crossing over. When our MIG-21 entered their space, Wing Commander Abhinandan ejected before the plane crash-landed, but he ended on enemy territory," the officer said.

"As Pakistan has made the custody of the IAF pilot public through videos and press statements, they will have to treat him as PoW. Now, India has to ensure that Pakistan follows the Geneva Convention, which lays down the mandate on treating captive soldiers," the officer added.

Communication with family
On accessing consular support from the Indian embassy in Islamabad, the officer stated, "Officially, Pakistan will have to intimate in writing about the custody of the pilot to MEA, India, and the Indian Air Force, and once this is received, the MEA will intervene and provide the required consular support and even have a dialogue with Wing Commander Abhinandan."

When asked if he could be allowed to communicate with his family in Tamil Nadu, the officer said, "It won't be allowed soon, but the Pakistan army can allow it on humanitarian grounds."

On the extensive questioning possibilities in order to extract vital information such as type of airplane used or nature of mission he was on (a question asked in the video), the officer said, "The Pakistan intelligence wing will surely ask all sorts of questions to extract maximum information, but usually a PoW need not oblige... the way Wing Commander Abhinandan was seen in the video refusing to answer questions thrown at him by a Pakistan defence personnel."

Captured at Kargil
The officer recalled the capture of Group Captain (IAF) Kambampati Nachiketa, who was a flight lieutenant during the Kargil Operations on May 27, 1999, by Pakistan troops. He was released eight days later.

Wing Commander Abhinandan is the son of veteran Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthman, who is also President of Air Force Association, Tamil Nadu, and is a resident of Madambakkam, Chennai. Another veteran told mid-day, "We all praying for Abhinandan's safety and early release. Abhi was always keen on joining the Air Force and was commissioned in 2004."

Geneva Convention
Under the Geneva Convention, a prisoner of war has to be treated well and there can be no use of third-degree methods during his custody period. He has to be provided proper lodging, and even medical treatment. Also, the convention is clear that endangering the life of a PoW in custody or causing death is prohibited. They may also have to give him with comfortable clothing.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates