As part of building cordial relations with their counterparts, the Border Security Force (BSF) used to offer candies to Pak Rangers on August 14, observed by Pakistan as their independence day.
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India’s paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF) set a new Limca Book Record on Wednesday (August 12) by planting 4,00,000 tree saplings across its posts in the country.
However, BSF’s Inspector General (IG) Frontier Anil Paliwal announced on Wednesday that, “This time this thing will not happen, we will neither receive nor give candies to Pakistan Rangers on the occasions of Independence Days of both countries”.
“Since 2013, more than one and a half crore trees have been planted in the area of BSF’s command and also along India’s border with Bangladesh and Pakistan”, another BSF official said.
Border guarding forces of the two countries have been following a tradition of exchanging candies on national festivals and other events at the IB in Jammu and along the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar in Punjab and few other locations in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
His announcement comes just a day after Islamabad had summoned a high ranking Indian diplomat to lodge protest over cross border firing.
“We all know the prevailing situation, exchanging pleasantries and candies with Pakistan troops under present circumstances will give wrong signals to general public”, said sources.
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No ceremonial exchange of candies and gifts will take place between BSF and Pak Rangers during the Independence day celebrations on both the sides, in the wake of recent ceasefire violations and cross-border terror bids from the Pakistan side. Subsequently, no candies were exchanged on Diwali.
