ISLAMABAD (DNA) – Foreign Office on Friday has confirmed plan to hand over arrested Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman to India at Wagah Border in the afternoon.

The ministry said that all the relevant travel documents of the pilot have been completed.

The decision was taken by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan as a goodwill gesture to de-escalate tensions between both the countries. While giving policy statement in the National Assembly, the premier said that he was ready to hold a phone conversation with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.

“I want to say it to India: Don’t take this any further, Pakistan will be forced to retaliate,” Khan said. “I hope the international community will play its part to ensure the situation does not escalate beyond this.”

“I am afraid of miscalculations,” Khan said. “We should not even think of war, especially in view of the lethality of the weapons that we have.” However, he warned that his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi should not misconstrue his desire to de-escalate as “weakness”.

The address was delivered day after Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down two Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets for violating the Pakistani airspace and arrested Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.