Punjab: Retreat ceremony for public along Pak border to resume on Tuesday

Amritsar | The Border Security Force (BSF) has decided to resume from Tuesday the flag lowering ceremony for public at three places in Punjab along the Pakistan frontier, 12 days after it was stopped following Operation Sindoor by India in response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Officials told PTI on Monday that the event held daily evening at Attari, Hussainiwala and Sadki will be opened for public viewing from May 20.

However, the ceremony will be curtailed as BSF troops will not shake hands with Pakistan Rangers and the gates will not be opened during the flag lowering process as declared earlier, they said.

It is important to mention that the flag was being lowered each day by BSF troops since May 8 but only the public entry was cancelled, the officials clarified.

The BSF on May 8 had stopped public entry for this event at these three locations in view of "public safety". The decision was taken a day after India destroyed nine terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory military offensive against the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

It had, days after the Pahalgam attack, declared that the public ceremony will be conducted but without opening the border gates and traditional shaking of hands between the BSF and Rangers.

The Indian flag is lowered every evening by BSF troops in synchronisation with Pakistan Rangers at the joint check posts located at Attari (Amritsar district) opposite Pakistan's Wagah, Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district across Ganda Singh Wala and at Sadki in Fazilka district.