In response to the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, the Border Security Force (BSF) announced on Thursday that it has “scaled down” the daily retreat ceremonies at the Attari, Hussainiwala, and Sadki border crossings along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab.
The BSF’s Punjab frontier, responsible for securing 532 km of the 2,200 km border, stated that this “calibrated decision” involves suspending the customary handshake between the Indian and Pakistani guard commanders. Additionally, the border gates will remain closed throughout the ceremony.
According to the BSF, these measures underscore “India’s serious concern over cross-border hostilities and reaffirms that peace and provocation cannot coexist.”
Officials clarified that while these symbolic gestures will be halted, other drills associated with the flag-lowering ceremony will continue, and the public will still be permitted to witness the event.
The Pahalgam terrorist attack on Tuesday resulted in the tragic deaths of twenty-six individuals, primarily tourists and including a citizen of Nepal.
Following the attack, India has initiated diplomatic actions against Pakistan and implemented several countermeasures, linking the violence to its neighboring country.
The most prominent of these ceremonies takes place at the Attari border, an integrated land border checkpoint situated approximately 26 km from Amritsar. This daily flag-lowering and retreat ceremony, performed in unison by uniformed BSF personnel and Pakistan Rangers, typically attracts hundreds of domestic and international tourists, as well as local residents. The corresponding border on the Pakistani side is known as Wagah.
Similar, albeit smaller, ceremonies are also held at Hussainiwala in the Ferozepur district and Sadki in the Abohar district.
India and Pakistan have a long-standing tradition of hosting these evening flag-lowering ceremonies at the Attari-Wagah border since 1959. The event, which lasts approximately 45-50 minutes, is usually attended by large crowds from both nations on their respective sides of the border.
