AMRITSAR – India has cancelled the famous Joint Parade at Wagah-Attariborder, stopping huge crowds to reach the venue on their side at the timewhen Pakistan is going to hand over a captured IAF pilot over toauthorities of the neighbouring country.

The daily retreat ceremony held at the Attari-Wagah border front along theIndia-Pakistan border in Punjab has been “cancelled” for today (Friday),according to a report in the Times of India.

A senior official of India’s Border Security Force said the martialceremony has been called off due to administrative requirements in the wakeof IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s release post noon at thisfrontier.

Pakistan carried out air strikes and shot down two Indian military jets onWednesday, a day after Indian warplanes violated Pakistan airspace for thefirst time since the 1971 war, prompting global powers to urge both of therival South Asian countries to exercise restraint.

Abhinandan, who landed inside Pakistani territory after his MiG-21 Bisonwas shot down in a dogfight with PAF jets, is now being released followingan announcement by Prime Minister Imran Khan as a gesture of peace.