No Diwali sweets exchange at Attari border

Amritsar, Oct 23: The Border Security Force (BSF) Thursday did not exchange sweets and greetings with their counterparts Pakistan Rangers on the occasion of Diwali.

This is the second time within this month that the border guards of both the countries have not exchanged sweets during their festivals.

Both sides broke the tradition and did not exchange sweets and greetings on the occasion of Eid earlier this month.

BSF officials here said that no effort was made to work out the protocol for exchange of sweets Thursday.

The tradition of exchanging sweets between both the sides is being followed for the past many years on major religious festivals in both countries and also during their Independence Day celebrations.

The move for shunning exchange of sweets and greetings is being attributed to repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir for the last one month.

The Attari-Wagah international land border between both the countries, 30 km from Amritsar, has a joint check post. It is mainly used for trading activity and allowing people from both sides to cross over.

Punjab has a 553-km barbed wire fenced international border with Pakistan.

IANS