Tag: Attari border

  • WATCH| BSF, Pakistan Army exchange sweets and greetings at Wagah border on 73rd Republic Day

    By ANI

    AMRITSAR: In a goodwill gesture, Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Army exchanged sweets and greetings at the Attari-Wagah border on India’s 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday.

    #WATCH Border Security Force & Pakistan Rangers exchange sweets and greetings at JCP Attari on India’s 73rd Republic Day pic.twitter.com/nTD23Wf937
    — ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2022
    The officials of the BSF and Pak Rangers exchanged sweets and pleasantries.

    The exchange of sweets was suspended in the last two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic whereas earlier in 2018, the BSF skipped the tradition on January 26 over growing incidents of ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border.

    Even in 2019, both border guarding forces of India and Pakistan did not exchange sweets and greetings on the occasion of Eid along the Attari-Wagah border as the Pakistan chose to skip the friendlier gesture at the border after the special status give to Jammu and Kashmir was revoked

    Similarly, after the surgical strike in October 2016, the BSF did not offer sweets to Pakistan Rangers. Because of the Covid pandemic, the flag lowering ceremony or Beating Retreat border ceremony have been suspended at Attari-Wagah border.

    Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to the fallen soldiers at the newly built National War Memorial (NWM) today morning in New Delhi, prior to participating in the 73rd Republic Day celebrations.

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt, Defence Secretary, Ajay Kumar, and the Chiefs of the Indian Armed Forces, i.e, Army, Air Force, and Navy, were also present on this occasion.

    The Inter services Guards was formed by 7 Soldiers from each service. This year, the guards were commanded by a Naval Officer, Lt Cdr Amit Kumar Rathi. The Contingent commander was Sqn Ldr Akash Gangas.

    When the Prime Minister laid the wreath, the Inter services guards presented ‘Salami Shastra’ followed by ‘Shok Shastra’. Simultaneously, the buglers sounded the ‘Last Post’. Later, PM Modi and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Rajpath to witness the Republic Day parade.

    The celebrations this year are special as Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence, being celebrated as ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ across the country. To mark the occasion, the Ministry of Defence has conceptualized a series of new events during the main parade on Rajpath on January 26 and the ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony at Vijay Chowk on January 29.

    It has been decided that the Republic Day celebrations will now be week-long from January 23-30 every year. This year, the celebrations commenced on January 23, the birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and culminate on January, 30 which is observed as Martyrs’ Day.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • Madhya Pradesh man who crossed into Pakistan returns home

    By PTI
    DAMOH: A 40-year-old mentally unstable man, who inadvertently crossed into Pakistan in 2019, has returned to his village in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district, local police said.

    Barelal Adivasi, a resident of Pati Shishpur village near here, was arrested at Bahawalpur in Pakistan on November 14, 2019 for unlawful entry.

    On Saturday, he returned to his native place, located around 20 km from the district headquarters, Damoh Superintendent of Police D R Tenivaar told reporters.

    It was not known how he landed in the neighbouring country, officials said.

    Following talks between the Pakistan government and the Ministry of External Affairs, Adivasi was released and he returned to India via the Attari border in Punjab, Tenivaar said.

    A family member received him at Amritsar and brought him back, he said.

  • COVID-19 effect: No joint or coordinated parade this year at Attari border on Republic Day

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: This year, there will be no joint or coordinated parade at the Attari border on Republic Day. Earlier, Pakistan and India used to do a joint parade, which spectators used to watch from both the side. This year, no public will be allowed due to COVID-19 restrictions at the Attari border.

    “No joint or coordinated parade this year at Attari border on Republic Day. No public will be allowed due to COVID-19 restrictions. India will conduct flag-lowering as per daily schedule,” a Border Security Force (BSF) senior official said.

    Since March 7 public was not allowed at the Attari border due to COVID-19 restrictions. According to sources, Pakistan since the last few weeks have allowed public as they are seen from the Indian side. Also, India is not offering sweets to Pakistan on various occasions due to the tense relationship with Pakistan, sources said.

    BSF sources have also claimed that a meeting is scheduled this week to decide what can be done on Republic day.