NEW DELHI: Pakistan will release captured Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman on Friday as a “peace gesture”, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday.The development came soon after Indian officials said New Delhi will not negotiate any deal for the pilot’s release. “We want him back unharmed, unconditionally and immediately,” an official said on condition of anonymity. “He is not a bargaining chip. There is no question of any deal with Pakistan on his return.”Asserting that India has not asked for consular access to Varthaman, sources said Pakistan’s efforts to link the release of the pilot with “de-escalation” of tensions has not gone down well in New Delhi. The onus of de-escalating tension lies entirely on Pakistan, they said. India wants immediate, credible and verifiable action against terrorists and their proxies. Pakistan has to take concrete steps against Jaish-e-Mohammad, they said.In less than an hour after that, the Pakistan PM announced the release of the pilot at a joint session of parliament where he briefed members of the senate and national assembly on the ongoing situation with India. “In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow, as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody,” Khan said on the floor of the House.He said he had reached out to New Delhi after assuming charge as prime minister and wrote to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi suggesting a meeting between the foreign ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.“But we did not get a positive response… It was not in Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign manifesto,” Khan said. He said Pakistan had opened up Kartarpur Corridor as a positive gesture. “Then the Pulwama attack happened. Within half an hour, India blamed Pakistan for the attack. We had Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman visiting Islamabad. Why would we sabotage an important conference? What could we gain from it?”Khan referred to a televised address where he offered India complete cooperation in Pulwama attack investigation and sought credible intelligence. “But instead of evidence, India opted for war hysteria,” he said. “I want to pay homage to Pakistan’s media for the responsible coverage. Our media did not engage in warmongering.”Responding to Khan’s offer for talks, Indian sources said the country wants the Pakistan PM to first walk the talk on investigating the February 14 Pulwama attack. They said India did not share actionable intelligence with Pakistan about involvement of JeM in the Pulwama attack and instead targeted its terrorist training camp in Balakot as no result had yielded after actionable intelligence was shared with Islamabad following the terror attacks in Mumbai and Pathankot in 2008 and 2016, respectively.Foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale, meanwhile, briefed envoys of several countries, including from China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, on the Pakistan Air Force targeting Indian military installations.