No exchange of sweets at Attari border this Diwali

Exchange of sweets on Diwali did not happen, a BSF official says, without elaborating further

In a departure from the past, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday did not exchange sweets and greetings with Pakistani Rangers at the Indo-Pak Attari/Wagah border on Diwali with the move coming in the wake of heightened tension between both the countries.

The exchange of sweets on Diwali did not happen, a BSF official, without elaborating further, said.

Both the BSF and the Pakistani Rangers have in the past followed the tradition of exchanging sweets and gifts on festivals like Diwali and Eid, as well as on the occasion of the Independence day functions of the two neighbouring countries.

However, during the past 2-3 years, the border guarding forces on either side have not exchanged sweets on few occasions.

This year, the BSF's decision comes in the backdrop of the heightened tension between the two nations with growing incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB), especially after the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes targeting terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

"No we did not exchange sweets with the Pakistan Army anywhere along the Line of Control today on the occasion of Diwali," an Army officer said.

Both the sides have been trading mortar shells and small arms fire along the LoC and the IB after India carried out surgical strikes in PoK targeting terrorist launch pads after the terrorist attack in Uri last month.

There have been over 60 ceasefire violations from the Pakistan side after the army's surgical strike in the intervening night of September 28 and 29.