After a 12-day suspension due to escalating tensions, the Beating Retreat ceremony will resume on Tuesday, May 20, at the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar, Punjab, and the Hussainiwala border in Ferozepur. However, this revival will occur without the traditional handshake between the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) and the Pakistan Rangers, with gates between the two nations remaining closed during the ceremony.
The Beating Retreat ceremony is a daily event that has been conducted jointly by the security forces of India and Pakistan since 1959. It typically includes a symbolic handshake between the Indian Guard Commander and their Pakistani counterparts. Each evening, the Indian flag is lowered by BSF troops in synchronisation with the Pakistan Rangers at joint check posts, including Attari in Amritsar district opposite Pakistan’s Wagah, and Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district across Ganda Singh Wala, in addition to Sadki in Fazilka district.
The BSF had earlier scaled down the ceremony on April 24 following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, primarily tourists. The Resistance Front, believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, initially claimed responsibility for the attack before retracting its statement and attributing it to a cyberattack.
In response to rising tensions, India initiated “Operation Sindoor” on May 7, targeting nine locations linked to terrorist activities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which further escalated conflicts between the two countries. On May 8, amid ongoing strife from Operation Sindoor, the ceremony was halted completely. The BSF restricted public access to the event at the three locations—Attari, Hussainiwala, and Sadki—citing public safety concerns. Officials indicated that while the flag had continued to be lowered by BSF troops since May 8, public entry was the only aspect that had been cancelled.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/india/india-pakistan-tensions-beating-retreat-ceremony-at-attari-wagah-border-to-resume-after-12-day-break-13889828.html
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Publish Date: 2025-05-19 22:58:00
