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By Zhang Wen in Lahore A Pakistan Rangers official Sunday denied a report that Indian and Pakistani border guards had done away with manly gestures during a daily ceremony on the border at Wagah. For years, the military flag-lowering ceremony that takes place every evening at the Wagah border post has drawn crowds of onlookers on both sides. Last week, the Indian Hindustan Times cited a senior Indian Border Security Force officer, Himmat Singh, as saying both sides had reached an agreement to tone down their displays of aggression during the parade of sorts. But in denying that such an agreement had been made, Pakistan Rangers official Sher Jung told the Global Times that all guards were respectful in the ceremony, which has reportedly resulted in some guards suffering "mild-to-severe" damage to joints in the lower half of their bodies, particularly to the knees. The Pakistan side has called the report Indian propaganda. For 45 minutes every day at sunset, soldiers from both sides high-kick, stomp and speed march their way through a choreographed routine. It ends in the lowering of both flags and the slamming of the border gate. Despite those warrior-like gestures, both sides often display peaceful gestures, such as smiling and shaking hands. Calling the parade a symbolic sign of Pakistan-Indian relations, the Pakistani paper Dawn urged both sides to bridge the gap between symbols and official dialogue with a popular, pro-peace movement. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since the division of the subcontinent in 1947. The nuclear-armed rivals are currently moving, albeit very slowly, toward reviving a peace dialogue suspended after the 2008 Mumbai attacks that India blamed on Pakistan-based militants. |
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