At the Wagah-Attari border, which marks the final boundary between the nuclear-armed nations of India and Pakistan, the atmosphere is charged with patriotism. The sound of drums can be heard as soldiers perform a choreographed, ceremonial march, showcasing both countries’ pride.
However, the usual symbol of cooperation — a handshake between the two countries’ soldiers — is missing, and the iron gates that separate the two sides remain locked. This is in the context of tense relations between India and Pakistan, heightened by a deadly attack in Kashmir.
Despite the tension, people gather to express their feelings, celebrate their national identities, and watch the dramatic flag-lowering ceremony that has become a symbolic ritual at the border. Visitors on the Pakistani side say they are not afraid of the soaring tensions and for them, it is business as usual.
“We don’t feel any such tension. We feel that we are as safe as we used to be before,” Muhammad Luqman, a Pakistani teacher who was visiting the Wagah border, told AFP.
“The reason for this is that we feel our country’s defense is in strong hands. We don’t have any sort of doubt or fear.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “full operational freedom” to respond to the attack as public anger swelled in his country after New Delhi accused Pakistan of involvement in the April 22 attack that killed 26 tourists. Islamabad has denied the allegations and called for a credible international probe into it.
On Monday, Pakistan carried out a second missile test in three days after saying it was preparing for an incursion by India.
The two nuclear-armed countries have exchanged gunfire along their de facto border in Kashmir, and there have been fears that the latest crisis between the nuclear-armed rivals, who have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, could spiral into a military conflict.
“Pakistan is a brave nation. We live near the Wagah border. If there is any danger, we will be first picked up from the village, then it will be the turn of the people of the city, because we live in the [border] village,” said Muhammad Abu Bakar, a student.
“The villagers should be afraid, but the villagers are not afraid.”
The flare-up between India and Pakistan has once again alarmed world and regional powers, who have called for restraint and urged the two neighbors to resolve the crisis through dialogue.
‘We are not afraid’: Pakistanis at India-Pakistan border ceremony amid Kashmir tensions
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‘We are not afraid’: Pakistanis at India-Pakistan border ceremony amid Kashmir tensions
- Soldiers from both nations perform aggressive marches, avoid traditional handshake as emotions run high over standoff
- Border crossing closed after attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blames on Pakistan, which denies charge
Pakistan, Azerbaijan call for de-escalation in the region amid widening Iran conflict
- PM Sharif condemns drone strike on the Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan targeting civilians
- He tells President Ilham Aliyev Pakistan stands in full solidarity with Azerbaijan and its people
PESHAWAR: Pakistan and Azerbaijan called for de-escalation in the region on Friday amid intensifying attacks on Iran by Israel and the United States, a day after drone strikes targeted civilians in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave.
The appeal came during a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, according to an official statement, as tensions across the Middle East and the Gulf region continue to rise.
The call followed drone attacks on Thursday that wounded four people in Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani exclave bordering Iran.
Baku accused Tehran of launching the drones and threatened retaliation, while Iran denied the allegation and blamed Israel — a close ally of Azerbaijan — for attempting to stage a provocation.
“During their conversation, the Prime Minister condemned, in the strongest terms, the drone attacks on Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan yesterday that targeted innocent civilians,” said the statement released by Sharif office after the conversation. “He assured the Azerbaijani leadership that Pakistan stands in complete solidarity and support with the brotherly people of Azerbaijan at this difficult time.”
“The two leaders stressed on the need for de-escalation and restoration of peace in the region,” it added.
Sharif also briefed Aliyev on Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach following the crisis in Iran and the Gulf region.
Aliyev thanked the Pakistani leader for the call and appreciated the expression of solidarity from Pakistan, according to the statement.
Pakistan and Azerbaijan maintain close political and defense ties, with Islamabad also offering Azerbaijan and other Central Asian states connectivity to its southern ports to facilitate trade.
Pakistan has also repeatedly urged all sides involved in the escalating Iran confrontation to avoid further escalation and resolve disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.
