New Delhi declined China's offer to send deputy minister to India, Pak after 2019 Balakot strikes
In his upcoming book, Bisaria, who was serving as Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad in that period, also writes that India was willing to send an aircraft of the Indian Air Force to Pakistan to bring back Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, but the Pakistani government refused permission.
Varthaman (now Group Captain) downed a Pakistani jet on February 27, 2019, before his MiG 21 Bison jet was hit in a dogfight.
Pakistan had launched the retaliation for the Balakot airstrikes a day before.
Varthaman was captured by the Pakistani Army and was released two days later.
«We were willing to send an Indian Air Force aircraft to pick him up but Pakistan refused permission; the optics of an Indian Air Force plane landing in Islamabad after all that had happened over the previous three days, was, of course, not acceptable to Pakistan,» Bisaria writes.
In his book, 'Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship Between India and Pakistan', he also says several countries had offered to send special envoys over to the subcontinent but this was no longer necessary.
«Even China, not to be left behind, had suggested that it could send its deputy minister to both countries to seek de-escalation. India had politely declined the offer,» he says.
In the book published by Rupa, Bisaria, who had a distinguished diplomatic career spanning 35 years, delves into various aspects of India-Pakistan relations since Independence.
