Karachi: In a bizarre propaganda, Pakistan has put on display a mannequin of Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman whose plane was shot down over Kashmir earlier this year.
According to reports in the Pakistani media, the life-sized mannequin of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, complete with his signature moustache, has been installed in an exhibit at a museum in Karachi run by the Pakistan Air Force. Varthaman’s plane was shot down in a dogfight over the Himalayan region of Kashmir in February during clashes which brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war.
After his capture, the Pakistani military released a video showing him sipping a cup of tea and politely refusing to answer questions.
The exhibit at Karachi museum includes, according to Pakistan media claims, parts of the fuselage and tail of his aircraft, a Mig-21, his watch, as well as a tea mug, though apparently not the same the pilot was seen sipping from.
Varthaman was released within a few days in a peace gesture from Pakistan aimed at defusing tensions. The mannequin stands in a gallery named Operation Swift Retort.
The gallery also contains images re-enacting the moment his plane was shot down, and photographs showing him being handed back to India at the Wagah border crossing.
The museum stands inside a recreational park for young people in Karachi, complete with decomissioned aircraft and other military hardware.