Punjab border retreat ceremony resumes post-suspension: Border gates to stay shut, ceremony to resume for public from May 21
The BSF’s Punjab Frontier, headquartered in Jalandhar, said the ceremony will resume from Tuesday but only for accredited media
- May 20, 2025,
- Updated May 20, 2025 11:58 AM IST
Nearly two weeks after public access was suspended following Operation Sindoor, the Border Security Force (BSF) has announced that the daily retreat ceremony at three border locations in Punjab will resume for visitors from Wednesday, May 21. The decision follows heightened security concerns in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory strikes on terror camps in Pakistan.
In a statement released on Monday, the BSF’s Punjab Frontier, headquartered in Jalandhar, said the ceremony will resume from Tuesday but only for accredited media. Public attendance will be allowed from Wednesday, with the event scheduled at 6 pm.
The popular flag-lowering ceremony, held at Attari in Amritsar district (near Pakistan’s Wagah), Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district (opposite Ganda Singh Wala), and Sadki in Fazilka district, was closed to visitors on May 8. The BSF had cited "public safety" as the reason after launching Operation Sindoor, a military response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people.
Officials said that while the Indian and Pakistani flags have continued to be lowered each evening, the format of the event will remain altered. The BSF and Pakistan Rangers will not shake hands, and border gates will not be opened during the ceremony—both customary elements suspended earlier this month.
“The ceremony will take place, but without the handshakes or gate-opening rituals,” BSF officials reiterated.
While the public will now be allowed back, these symbolic gestures of military cooperation remain on hold—an indicator of ongoing diplomatic tension following cross-border hostilities.
Nearly two weeks after public access was suspended following Operation Sindoor, the Border Security Force (BSF) has announced that the daily retreat ceremony at three border locations in Punjab will resume for visitors from Wednesday, May 21. The decision follows heightened security concerns in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory strikes on terror camps in Pakistan.
In a statement released on Monday, the BSF’s Punjab Frontier, headquartered in Jalandhar, said the ceremony will resume from Tuesday but only for accredited media. Public attendance will be allowed from Wednesday, with the event scheduled at 6 pm.
The popular flag-lowering ceremony, held at Attari in Amritsar district (near Pakistan’s Wagah), Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district (opposite Ganda Singh Wala), and Sadki in Fazilka district, was closed to visitors on May 8. The BSF had cited "public safety" as the reason after launching Operation Sindoor, a military response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people.
Officials said that while the Indian and Pakistani flags have continued to be lowered each evening, the format of the event will remain altered. The BSF and Pakistan Rangers will not shake hands, and border gates will not be opened during the ceremony—both customary elements suspended earlier this month.
“The ceremony will take place, but without the handshakes or gate-opening rituals,” BSF officials reiterated.
While the public will now be allowed back, these symbolic gestures of military cooperation remain on hold—an indicator of ongoing diplomatic tension following cross-border hostilities.