India-Pak Border Troops Exchange Independence Day Greetings

New Delhi, Aug 16, IRNA –India and Pakistan’s border troopers exchange greeting on Independence Day. BSF troopers and Pakistani Rangers today greeted each other and exchanged sweets along the border in Jammu sector on the occasion of India's 66th Independence Day. Pakistani Rangers walked up to the Zero Line, 45-km from here, to greet their counterparts from the BSF. The Pakistanis brought sweets and gifts for BSF jawans, officials said. BSF troopers had also greeted their counterparts on the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day yesterday. They also presented Pakistani border guards gifts and sweets, the officials said. The BSF troopers and Pakistani Rangers had decorated their border posts to mark the occasion. Earlier on Tuesday, Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged sweets on the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day at Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. Pakistani Rangers led by Lt Col Javed handed over packets of sweets to his Indian counterpart Major S Manhas on the Line of Control (LoC) at Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point, pti reported quoting officials as said said. Meanwhile, a handful of people from India and Pakistan marked the Independence Days of both the countries by holding a candle light vigil on both sides of the international border at Attari. Organized by non-government organizations of both the countries, the vigil took place at midnight last night. Members of Indian NGOs 'Hind Pak Friendship Front' and 'Folklore Research Academy' and Pakistan-based 'South Asia Free Media Association' (SAFMA) assembled at the border holding lit candles in their hands. Those from the Indian side included general secretary of 'Hind Pak Dosti Manch' Satnam Manak and President 'Folklore Research Academy' Ramesh Yadav while from Pakistan there were numerous people at the Attari/Wagah border. Manak informed that peaceniks of India and Pakistan had already obtained the mandatory permission from authorities concerned on the vigil. Earlier, around one kilometer away from the Attari/Wagah border a cultural program was organized which was attended by a 20-member delegation from Pakistan besides hundreds of People from Indian side./end