Watch | India, Pakistan exchange sweets, greetings at Attari-Wagah border

Pakistan rangers and BSF exchange sweets at Attari-Wagah border. Source: ANI.

India's Border Security Force (BSF) and the Pakistan Rangers, on January 26, exchanged sweets at various points along the border on the occasion of India's 73rd Republic Day.

The BSF and the Pakistan army were seen exchanging sweets and greetings at the Attari-Wagah border joint check post (JCP) in a video shared by news agency ANI.

#WATCH Border Security Force & Pakistan Rangers exchange sweets and greetings at JCP Attari on India's 73rd Republic Day pic.twitter.com/nTD23Wf937

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— ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2022

Amid concern over the rise in COVID-19 cases, BSF informed that the public entry to the daily flag-lowering retreat ceremony along the India-Pakistan border in Attari would be stopped, reported Republic.

The BSF, in a statement, said that the action would be practised with “immediate effect”.

Earlier, the ceremony was suspended for over a year since the first COVID-19-induced lockdown on March 7, 2020.

Prior to that, India earlier chose to skip the tradition on January 26, 2018, over growing incidents of ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border.

Even in 2019, the BSF and Pakistan Rangers personnel did not exchange sweets and greetings on the occasion of Eid along the Attari-Wagah border. Pakistan government’s decision to drop the friendlier gesture at the border after the special status give to Jammu and Kashmir was revoked, TOI reported citing sources.

Similarly, after the surgical strike in October 2016, the BSF did not offer sweets to Pakistan Rangers.
The BSF and Pakistan Rangers usually exchange sweets on major religious festivals such as Eid and Diwali, and on national days like Independence Day and Republic Day.

The ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border starts with a blustering parade by the soldiers from both sides and ends up in the perfectly coordinated lowering of the two nations' flags. It is called the beating retreat border ceremony on the international level. One Infantryman or Jawan stands at attention on each side of the gate. As the sun sets, the iron gates at the border are opened and the two flags are lowered simultaneously.