Social media in India and Pakistan is finally hitting a positive note with #WelcomeBackAbhinandan. The Pakistan government announced that they “will release Indian Pilot Abhinandan tomorrow as a gesture of peace” a short while ago.
People were happy to hear the news, as the escalating conflict between the two countries witnessed cross border bombings over the past few days and the capture of an Indian air force pilot yesterday.
Firoj Khan @khanmfh tweeted: “… we should offer our abhinandan [salutations] to @ImranKhanPTI [Prime Minister of Pakistan] for releasing our Abhinandan, Imran Khan is really showing leadership here, what he proved in cricket field! If he gets rid of this terror narrative, our region will have a very prosperous future, hope for the best!”
@siddhisankalkar posted: “Tears of joy drip; ‘See you tomorrow, hero’ quiver the lips; Like you and me, our armed forces don’t go on happy trips; their lives are all about sacrifices and hardships. #AbhinandanMyHero #WelcomeBackAbhinandan”
Tears of joy drip; ‘See you tomorrow, hero’ quiver the lips; Like you and me, our armed forces don’t go on happy trips; their lives are all about sacrifices and hardships. #AbhinandanMyHero #WelcomeBackAbhinandan”
Sndp @dgtl_33k wrote: “Braveheart is returning tomorrow. Tears of joy, indeed!”
The sentiment was shared by @vikramchandra: “I can only smile at the thought that Wing Commander Abhinandan will be safely home with his family tomorrow. Happy to acknowledge anyone who helped make it possible, for whatever reason. #WelcomeBackAbhinandan”
But, there were also those who felt that Pakistan had no choice but to release the airforce officer in response to political pressure, along with emphasizing the need for the country to take a stronger stand against terror groups apparently operating from within the country.
Sreejit @ThisHungryPanda tweeted: “@ImranKhanPTI had no option but to release Wing Cmdr. #Abhinandan after the video went viral. I don’t consider it as a gesture of peace but an international obligation. A gesture of peace would be doing something about terrorism that breeds in Pakistan. #WelcomeBackAbhinandan”
Deepak Joshi wrote on Facebook: “Thanks and appreciated, but they [Pakistan] need to stop terrorism against India. Both countries can grow economically and prosper, and make people happy. War and terrorism will not help anyone. We must think how both countries become economically rich countries. Amen.”
The online narrative then moved into the politics of the whole issue.
Tweep @AdityaMenon22 posted: “Indian government caught completely unawares by Pakistan PM Imran Khan's 'Peace Gesture' of releasing Wing Commander #AbhinandanVartaman. PM Modi busy at an award function. Armed forces reschedule press conference. No one with any honesty can spin this in government's favour. #WelcomeBackAbhinandan”
