Border gates remain shut during beating retreat ceremony at Attari border

Amritsar | The border gates of India and Pakistan remained shut during the beating retreat ceremony at the Attari border in Amritsar on Thursday evening after the Border Security Force "scaled down" the event in light of the Pahalgam terror attack.

The Indian parade commander also did not move forward to shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart during the ceremony.

Many visitors came to watch the retreat ceremony at the Joint Check Post (JCP) Attari border.

Twenty-six men, mostly tourists, were gunned down in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday.

India has launched a series of diplomatic offensive against Pakistan and taken several counter-measures linking the attack to the neighbouring country.

India also closed the Integrated Check Post at Attari, the only operational land border crossing between the two countries, with immediate effect.

This was part of the five specific retaliatory measures against Pakistan taken after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Wednesday.

The Centre also announced the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches and suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 in a press briefing that followed the CCS meeting.

The BSF on Thursday said it has "scaled down" the retreat ceremony held at Attari, Hussainiwala and Sadki along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab.

Hundreds of visitors, foreign tourists and locals visit the Attari-Wagah border on either side daily to watch the flag-lowering and retreat ceremony that is being held since 1959.