IAF pilot Abhinandan's return delayed, expected at Wagah border shortly: Sources

The Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot left Lahore in a convoy comprising vehicles of the Pakistani government officials, according to Dawn newspaper.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who become the face of the crisis between Islamabad and New Delhi, will be handed back to Indian officials at the Wagah border crossing on Friday night.

Although earlier reports said that the handover took place at around 5:30 pm on Friday evening and that Abhinandan was accompanied by Indian High Commission officials from Islamabad, there has been no clarity yet on whether the Wing Commander has been handed over or what is the cause of the delay.

Wing Commander Abhinandan is scheduled to be handed over by 9 p.m (Indian Standard Time). "Pakistan has changed the timing of handover of IAF's Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman twice. Indian defence minister is keeping a close watch on proceedings. The handover might now take place at 9 pm tonight", news agency ANI quoted. 

UPDATE: According to sources, Abhinandan was at Wagah. He was taken to an Army camp 8 km from Wagah in Batapur. And now he is being brought back

UPDATE: CNN-News18 reports that the 'last-minute' procedural formalities at the Pakistan side of the border has caused the delay.

Frenzied celebrations broke out at the Attari-Wagah border checkpost in the morning itself with hundreds of people waving the tricolour, getting their faces painted and shouting slogans in anticipation of his safe homecoming and hoping to catch a glimpse of the brave-heart.

The breathless countdown for the homecoming of Abhinandan -- who became the centrepoint of escalating tensions between the two fractious neighbours with his capture after his plane was downed -- began on Thursday when Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in Parliament that he would be released the following day as a gesture of peace.

Wing Commander Varthaman, son of a decorated IAF veteran, was captured by Pakistan after his jet went down following a strike by an enemy missile.

Varthaman's MiG 21 was shot and he bailed out after bringing down one Pakistani F-16 fighter during a dogfight to repel a Pakistani attack on Wednesday morning. He has been in Pakistan since then.

The daily retreat ceremony at the border front was cancelled for the day by authorities, worried that it could become a security nightmare with an estimated 20,000 people gathering at the spot 

Sources speaking to ABP News have informed that Pakistan has not cancelled the rite from its end. It also said the Commander will be formally handed over to India after the Beating Retreat ceremony

UPDATE: Reports coming in from across the border are that the Beating Retreat ceremony on the Pakistani side has ended.

The day slipped into sunset and then night, there was no sign of the Indian Air Force pilot. Till late in the evening, it wasn't even clear how and where the officer was handed over to Indian authorities, says PTI.

Pakistan plans to lodge a complaint against India at the United Nations, accusing it of “eco-terrorism” over air strikes that damaged pine trees and brought the nuclear-armed nations to blows, a government minister said on Friday.

Indian warplanes on Tuesday bombed a hilly forest area near the northern Pakistani town of Balakot, about 40 km (25 miles) from India’s border in the Himalayan region of Kashmir. New Delhi said it had destroyed a militant training camp and killed hundreds of “terrorists”.

Climate Change Minister Malik Amin Aslam said Indian jets bombed a “forest reserve” and the government was undertaking an environmental impact assessment, which will be the basis a complaint at the United Nations and other forums.

The United Nations states that “destruction of the environment, not justified by military necessity and carried out wantonly, is clearly contrary to existing international law”, according to the U.N. General Assembly resolution 47/37.

A Pakistani citizen had filed the petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to stop the imminent release of Varthaman, saying he committed crime against the country and should be put on trial. The Islamabad High Court on Friday dismissed the plea to stop the imminent release of the captured Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinanadan Varthaman.

UPDATE: Air Vice Marshal Kapoor and BSF officials would brief the press at the Indian side of the Wagah-Attari border following which the IAF pilot will be flown to New Delhi from Amritsar.

Sources suggest Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman might also appear before media later on Friday.