Parents of the pilot headed to the Wagah border, where Islamabad's authorities said he would be brought to, to witness his release and welcome him back. The pilot, named by India as Wing Commander Abhinandan, crashed his jet in Pakistani territory on Wednesday after a dogfight with Pakistani JF-17. The pilot's return was announced on Friday morning by Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
He said: "As a gesture of peace and to de-escalate matters, the Indian pilot who is under arrest with us will be released today in the afternoon at the Wagah border."
However, tensions between India and Pakistan remain high.
Mr Qureshi has refused to attend a meeting of foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Abu Dhabi, taking place this weekend, because his Indian counterpart has been invited.
The minister added the Saudi foreign minister is set to visit his country bearing a message from Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who visited both Pakistan and India last month.
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Pakistan has released Wing Commander Abhinandan, captured on Wednesday (Image: SKY NEWS)
The released pilot quickly became a hero in his county after he shouted pro-Indian slogan while on enemy soil and attempted to evade capture twice in two days.
On his first attempt, the pilot fired his pistol in the air to deter the Pakistani villagers chasing him, two eyewitnesses told Reuters.
Muhammad Razzaq Chaudhry, 58, one of the eyewitnesses, said: "During that
