Islamabad: Before he announced the release the captured pilot Abhinandan Varthaman to the world, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had tried to contact his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi over the telephone three times but failed, media reports said.
Mr Khan wanted to tell Mr Modi about his decision to release Mr Varthaman.
Later, during a joint parliament session, Mr Khan announced that Pakistan will release the captured Wing Commander, “as a peace gesture” to India.
Reports said Mr Modi’s office was sent a message for a telephonic conversation between the leaders, but there was no ‘positive’ response.
During his speech in the Parliament, the Prime Minister reiterated that Pakistan desired peace and stability in the region as it was essential for the government’s efforts to pull the people out of poverty and attract investment and revealed that he tried to reach out to Mr Modi for the sake of peace in the region. “Tension is not in the interest of both the countries,” he said. “I tried to talk to Prime Minister Modi yesterday,” the PM added.
