The series of events in February 2019, following the Balakot surgical strike, created a tense situation between India and Pakistan that is etched in the memories of both nations. After the strike, Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistan, leading to heightened tensions. However, former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria, sheds light on the behind-the-scenes developments in his upcoming book, ‘Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship Between India and Pakistan’.
According to Bisaria, the deployment of nine missiles by India directed towards Pakistan caused considerable alarm within the Pakistani army and government. In those crucial nights from February 26 to February 28, as revealed in the book, a nervous Pakistani government urgently sought intervention, approaching Ajay Bisaria’s residence at midnight. Their aim was to de-escalate tensions by arranging a discussion between Pakistani PM Imran Khan and Indian PM Narendra Modi.
The night of February 27, 2019, referred to by PM Modi as the ‘qatal ki raat’ (night of bloodshed), was one of significance. It was during this time that Abhinandan Varthaman remained in Pakistan’s custody. Bisaria disclosed that he received a midnight call from the then Pakistan High Commissioner to India, Sohail Mahmood, conveying PM Khan’s eagerness to engage in a conversation with PM Modi. Bisaria, after consulting with individuals in Delhi, informed Mahmood that Modi was unavailable at that late hour. He suggested that any urgent message could be directly relayed to the high commissioner. Following this, there was no further communication from Mahmood that night.
Ultimately, India’s coercive diplomacy played a pivotal role in Abhinandan’s release two days later. While Pakistan portrayed it as an effort to ease tensions, Western diplomats believed that Pakistan was genuinely rattled and anxious due to India’s strategic moves.
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