Amritsar, May 20: The Border Security Force (BSF) has announced that the ceremonial flag-lowering Retreat Ceremony at all three Joint Check Posts (JCPs) along the Punjab frontier will resume starting today. However, the event on May 20 will be exclusively for media persons, with public attendance allowed from Wednesday, May 21.
The ceremony had been suspended since May 8 following Operation Sindoor—a retaliatory military offensive launched by India after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives. Citing “public safety,” the BSF temporarily halted public entry to the popular event held daily at Attari (Amritsar), Hussainiwala (Ferozepur), and Sadki (Fazilka).
Though the flag was still being lowered daily by BSF personnel during the suspension, the public display and traditional gestures such as gate opening and handshakes with Pakistan Rangers were discontinued. These changes will remain in effect even as the public is welcomed back, BSF officials confirmed.
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The ceremony will continue to take place at 6 PM daily but in a curtailed format. The long-standing tradition of synchronised flag-lowering with Pakistan Rangers will persist, albeit without the symbolic handshake and gate opening.
The BSF clarified that the decision to resume the ceremony gradually underscores a balance between maintaining tradition and ensuring public safety in the wake of recent security concerns.
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