MAR 2 WAR AVERTED BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN

MAR 2  WAR AVERTED BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN

Whew! The world let out a collective sigh of relief yesterday, thanks to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. Rather than respond tit-for-tat with India militarily, he took a nicer approach. Khan released the captured Indian pilot to New Delhi, calling it a "Peace Gesture." Thankfully, India accepted the offer. Hopefully, this is the end of the most recent flare-up between the two enormous, angry and nuclear-weapon-wielding South Asian nations.

How did things get so testy? It all began back on February 14th, in Kashmir. No...not the ten-minute long Led Zeppelin song...the scenic and disputed Himalayan region. That's the day when a suicide bomber struck an Indian Paramilitary building. Forty soldiers were killed, making it the deadliest attack on the subcontinent in 30 years. Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility. This infuriated New Delhi, who have long claimed Pakistan provides safe-haven for the terrorist group.

On Monday, the Indian Air Force was ordered to take the offensive. They launched an air-strike to take out a suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad training camp in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. This action was a blatant violation of the sacred Line of Control that separates the two unruly nations. Soon afterward, the clunky MiG-21 fighter (often called the 'Flying Coffin') was shot down by the Pakistani Air Force. Miraculously, the pilot survived by parachuting from the flying fireball...just like James Bond.

Unfortunately for Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, when he parachuted into enemy territory it was nothing like a Bond movie. Instead of meeting a veiled swimsuit model, he was instantly captured by an angry mob. They likely would have killed him, but the Pakistani army came and broke things up. For the last week, he's been the face of the conflict, as media speculated about his condition. That was all cleared up yesterday when Varthaman, wearing a blue sport coat and a white unbuttoned shirt, strolled out of the checkpoint at 9:20 local time. Indian PM Modi called him "brave."

It's quite a fun tale, but also a sad reminder of a 1,000 year-old conflict that won't go away. The names of the nations change over the years, but it all comes down to religion: The Hindus vs. The Muslims. Generation after generation is raised to dislike the neighboring nation. Bollywood beauty Priyanka Chopra tweeted "Jai Hind!" in support of the Indian Armed Forces. She was soon reprimanded by Pakistani actress Armeena Khan. "She glorifies war!" she angrily tweeted. See? Even 30-something actresses have strong opinions when it comes to Indo-Pak relations.