Bhubneshwar, February 28; Internationally acclaimed sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik on Thursday paid tribute to Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman for his bravery. Varthaman, who is in the custody of Pakistan following an aerial engagement with the Pakistan Air Force at the Line of Control (LoC), will be released tomorrow, said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. IAF Pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman Will Be Released by Pakistan Tomorrow As 'Peace Gesture', Says Imran Khan; Watch Video.

Through his sand art at Odisha's Puri beach, the globally-acclaimed artist saluted Abhinandhan for his bravery. In his art, Pattnaik sculptured a picture of IAF Wing Commander. The Padma Shri awardee also sculpted a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighter jet. "Salute our brave Hero #Abhinandan My SandArt at Puri Beach #Odisha, " he said in a Twitter post. ‘Pilot Project’: PM Modi’s Cryptic Reaction on Pakistan Announcement of Releasing IAF Pilot Tomorrow?

Tweet by Sudarsan Pattnaik:

Meanwhile, Pakistani Premier Imran Khan, earlier today, said that his government had decided to release Abhinandan Varthaman, who was taken into custody by Pakistan following an air engagement with PAF (Pakistan Air Force) at the LoC. Imran Khan made this statement while addressing the national assembly. “We have captured Indian pilot. As a peace gesture, we will release him tomorrow... Pakistan acted with caution and restraint and replied to Indian aggression only to show that we are capable of safeguarding our sovereignty," he said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 28, 2019 09:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).