October 15, 2026 06:01 pm (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Aamir Khan’s nephew Imran Khan asked to leave India by Oct 28 after joining anti-CEC protest | ‘Their crime? Demanding justice’: Rahul Gandhi slams 4 AM detention of Ankita Bhandari’s parents | ‘Bangladesh showed us the way’: Neha Bora’s remarks spark BJP attack on Rahul Gandhi | Chingrighata flyover skid scare: Bikes fall, anti-skid blocks installed overnight as Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul faces criticism | Meerut blue drum murder case: Muskaan, her lover get death sentence | 'Rise up, young patriots!': American singer Mary Millben alleges CJP gets US funding, urges peaceful protests | 'Won't go unchallenged': Muhammad Yunus heckling in New York triggers legal action warning | flydubai cockpit attack probe widens: Two Maldivian pilots detained in UAE over links to Omani co-pilot | Netflix scores big FIFA deal: All 104 World Cup 2030 matches to stream live in Spain, Andorra | Jantar Mantar crackdown: CJP's Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka sent to jail for 5 days

Sania Mirza welcomes Abhinandan to India

| @indiablooms | Mar 02, 2019, at 06:40 pm

Dubai, Mar 2 (IBNS): Indian Tennis star Sania Mirza has welcomed the return of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan to his mother land after he was released by Pakistan on Friday.

"Welcome back Wing Commander Abhinandan .. you are our HERO in the truest sense.. The country salutes you and the bravery and dignity you have shown #Respect #WelcomeBackAbinandan Jai Hind," Mirza, whose husband is Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik, tweeted.

A day after the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted surgical strike, Abhinandan was captured when his MiG-21 Bison fighter had fallen across the Line of Control in Pak-Occuppied Kashmir (PoK) on Feb 27, when the Indian pilot was engaged in a dogfight with an intruding Pakistani F-16 fighter jet.

He was taken into the custody by Pakistan army.

After India refused to sit across the table with its neighbouring country, which was facing an immense international pressure since Feb 14 Pulwama attack, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced he will send Abhinandan to his own soil as a "peace gesture".

Abhinandan finally reached India through the Wagah border at around 9 pm on Friday.

 

Image: Sania Mirza Twitter page

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.