<p class="title">Hundreds of people flocked the Attari border Friday to catch a glimpse of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who is expected to touch home soil after his release from Pakistan.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in Parliament on Thursday that Varthaman would be released on Friday as a "peace gesture".<br /><br /></p>.<p class="bodytext">Patriotic fervour prevailed at the border with border residents singing songs, beating drums and carrying the tricolour in their hands.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Barely one-km away from the Indo-Pak border, people sang patriotic songs and raised slogans like "Bharat Mata ki Jai".</p>.<p class="bodytext">A Sikh youth from a nearby area was seen carrying a huge garland, while an elderly man was seen beating a 'dhol'.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"If permitted, I want to welcome the Wing Commander with this garland," said the youth carrying garland.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Security arrangements have been further strengthened here, with Punjab Police personnel also deployed in numbers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Amritsar's Senior Deputy Mayor Raman Bakshi, who was also present here, could not stop himself from singing patriotic songs.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Raising pro-India slogans, a group of youths sang the popular patriotic song, "Is desh ke yaaron kya kehna, yeah desh hai veer jawanoon ka".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Many youth among the crowd said Pakistan should stop aiding and abetting terror or else be prepared to face consequences. </p>
<p class="title">Hundreds of people flocked the Attari border Friday to catch a glimpse of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who is expected to touch home soil after his release from Pakistan.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in Parliament on Thursday that Varthaman would be released on Friday as a "peace gesture".<br /><br /></p>.<p class="bodytext">Patriotic fervour prevailed at the border with border residents singing songs, beating drums and carrying the tricolour in their hands.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Barely one-km away from the Indo-Pak border, people sang patriotic songs and raised slogans like "Bharat Mata ki Jai".</p>.<p class="bodytext">A Sikh youth from a nearby area was seen carrying a huge garland, while an elderly man was seen beating a 'dhol'.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"If permitted, I want to welcome the Wing Commander with this garland," said the youth carrying garland.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Security arrangements have been further strengthened here, with Punjab Police personnel also deployed in numbers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Amritsar's Senior Deputy Mayor Raman Bakshi, who was also present here, could not stop himself from singing patriotic songs.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Raising pro-India slogans, a group of youths sang the popular patriotic song, "Is desh ke yaaron kya kehna, yeah desh hai veer jawanoon ka".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Many youth among the crowd said Pakistan should stop aiding and abetting terror or else be prepared to face consequences. </p>