Abhinandan Varthaman Incident: How Modi's 'Coercive Diplomacy', 9 Missiles Aimed At Pakistan Turned Tide In India's Favour

India's coercive diplomacy ultimately led to Abhinandan's release within two days of being captured by Pakistan.

Neither any Indian nor any Pakistan could forget the February 2019 series of events that created almost a war-like situation between India and Pakistan. A day after the Balakot surgical strike, while countering the misadventure by the Pakistan Air Force, Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistan after he landed in the enemy territory. However, then Pakistan PM Imran Khan announced in the national assembly his government's plan to release Abhinandan. 

However, now the upcoming book 'Anger Management: The Troubled Diplomatic Relationship Between India and Pakistan' by former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria has revealed what transpired between India and Pakistan in those three nights between February 26 to February 28. In his book, Bisaria said that India's move to deploy nine missiles aimed towards Pakistan sent shivers down the spine of the Pakistani army and the government. He wrote in the book that spooked by the missile deployment, an anxious Pakistani government urgently sought intervention at midnight, approaching the then Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria's residence seeking to de-escalate the tension by arranging a discussion between Imran Khan and PM Narendra Modi.

The particular night, that PM Modi once termed as the 'qatal ki raat' (night of bloodshed), occurred on February 27, 2019. It marked the first of two nights during which the captured Indian wing commander, 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, who was in Islamabad at that time. Mahmood conveyed Khan's eagerness to engage in a conversation with Modi. Bisaria promptly consulted individuals in Delhi and responded to Mahmood, informing him that Modi was unavailable at that late hour. He suggested that any urgent message could be relayed to the high commissioner directly. Subsequently, Bisaria did not receive further communication from Mahmood that night.

India's coercive diplomacy ultimately led to Abhinandan's release two days later. While Pakistan had termed it an effort to ease tensions with India, Western Diplomats believed that Pakistan was nervous and really spooked by India's move.