Except in Guj, No Sweets Exchanged at Indo-Pak Border This Diwali

Sweets are exchanged at the India-Pakistan border between soldiers from both sides on festivals like Diwali.

Wagah border. (Photo: Reuters)

As Diwali festivities spread some joy across the country, heightened tension continued to grip the India-Pakistan border.

Pakistani Rangers on Sunday pounded Border Security Force (BSF) posts and civilian areas using small arms and mortar shells in continuous ceasefire violations along the International Border (IB) in Samba, Kathua, and Jammu districts, prompting BSF to retaliate.

In the wake of the disturbance on the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, there was no customary exchange of sweets on Diwali from either side on Sunday.

Tradition Continues on Gujarat Border But Wagah Refrains

BSF on Sunday did not exchange sweets and greetings with Pakistani Rangers at Indo-Pak Wagah-Attari border on Diwali.

There was no exchange of sweets along the International Border (IB) in the Jammu region on Sunday, as Pakistan side continues to violate ceasefire along the IB.

BSF Officer

There was also no exchange of sweets on the Line of Control.

But the Diwali goodwill continued on Gujarat border between BSF and the Pakistani Rangers.

Senior BSF officials in Gujarat say greetings were exchanged at three places — Banaskantha, Kutch, and Gandhinagar — on the Gujarat stretch of the border, reported Times of India. BSF had approached Rangers with sweets and greeted them on Diwali and Rangers reciprocated the following day, said the officials.

There have been over 60 ceasefire violations from the Pakistan side after the Indian Army’s surgical strike in the intervening night of 28 and 29 September targeting terrorist launch pads after the attack in Uri last month.

Ceasefire Violations on Diwali Along Border in J&K

"Unprovoked" firing resumed at the IB in RS Pura sector of Jammu district on Sunday evening, after shelling stopped in the morning.

At 8 pm, Pakistan rangers started firing with automatic weapons at two places in R S Pura sector. They also fired mortar shells in Suchetgarh area.

Dharmendra Pareek, Deputy Inspector General of BSF (Jammu Frontier)

He said the BSF was giving a befitting response to the Pakistani fire.

Small arms and mortar shells were fired by the rangers but were not effective. BSF retaliated appropriately to the firing, he added.

He said at 2 am, Pakistan started firing in gaps in Hiranagar and Samba sectors which continued till 6 am.

The firing stopped at 8:20 am in all parts of the International Border. There was no loss of life or injury, the officer said.

(With inputs from PTI.)