ISLAMABAD: Flight Lieutenant K Nachiketa was released by
Pakistan on Thursday night after eight days of captivity,
with
prime minister Nawaz Sharif terming it as a ``goodwill
gesture'' to
ease the current tension with India.
Nachiketa, who celebrated his 26th birthday in captivity on
May
30, was handed over to the International Committee of the
Red
Cross (ICRC) at the foreign office here, the state-run
Pakistan
Television reported.
The fighter pilot, who was to be handed over to Indian high
commissioner G Parthasarthy at 7.30 p.m. IST, was instead
handed over to ICRC nearly three hours later as the Indian
mission objected to his release before media glare.
Announcing the release of Nachiketa, Mr Sharif said, ``As a
gesture of goodwill and in keeping with the Islamic
tradition, Flt
Lt K Nachiketa is being handed over to Indian high
commissioner....''
Mr Sharif said the ``present situation must be defused.
Pakistan is
resolved to make all efforts to strengthen peace... and
prevent
deterioration.''(PTI)
Mahesh S. Rathi
Department of Forest Products
Oregon State University
Richardson Hall 119
Corvallis, OR 97331
Tel:(541) 737 8423
Fax:(541) 737 3385
