Attari: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Friday refused to exchangesweets and greetings with their Pakistani counterparts – the PakistanRangers, on the occasion of the 69th Republic Day.
The move by the BSF came following the heightened tension between bothcountries along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) inJammu and Kashmir due to repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistani andIndian forces leading to killing of soldiers and civilians on both sides.
Tension continues to prevail along the IB and LoC for the past few monthsdue to repeated ceasefire violations.
BSF sources said it was conveyed to the Pakistan Rangers on Thursday thatno sweets will be exchanged on Republic Day.
Border guards of both countries follow a tradition of exchanging sweets forthe past several years on major religious festivals, like Eid and Diwali,and also during Independence Days of both countries and India’s RepublicDay.
The BSF is on maximum alert along Punjab`s barbed wire fenced 553-km IBwith Pakistan.