The Indian Army and Border Security Force (BSF) on the Eid festival on Wednesday exchanged sweets with the Pakistan Army and Rangers respectively on the Line of Control (LOC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian Army exchanged sweets with its Pakistani counterpart at five places on the LOC, whereas the BSF offered sweets to the Pakistan Rangers at six places on the IB.
Colonel Emron Musavi, the Srinagar based defence spokesman, said that as a gesture for promoting peace, harmony and compassion in the true spirit of the Eid festival, India and Pakistan Armies held a Flag meeting and exchanged sweets at Kaman Aman Setu, Uri and Tithwal Crossing on Kishanganga River in Tangdhar, Kupwara. The event has been held when both the Armies have been strictly following the ceasefire agreement on the LOC.
The Jammu based defence spokesman, Lt. Colonel Devender Anand said that sweets were exchanged by the two Armies at the LOC on the Poonch-Rawalakot Crossing Point and Mendhar-Hotspring Crossing Point in the Poonch district.
The ceremony is seen as an enhanced confidence-building measure in the backdrop of the ongoing ceasefire between both countries. Greetings and best wishes of peace and harmony were conveyed to the Pak Army representatives from the Indian Army. The gesture was appreciated by both the Armies and is expected to further promote goodwill and mutual trust, he said.
DIG BSF SPS Sandhu said that the troops of BSF and Pakistan Rangers greeted each other and exchanged sweets on the IB in Hiranagar, Samba, Ramgarh, RS Pura, Arnia and Pargwal Sectors of Jammu.
This is the first exchange of sweets between the two border guarding forces after the Pulwama terror attack in 2019 when 40 CRPF personnel were martyred after which India suspended the exchange of sweets with Pakistani troops on festivals.
There was no cross border shelling after the ceasefire was renewed in February as a result of which farmers and residents on both sides of the border were living peacefully.