Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Wagah Border Between India And Pakistan

                Wagah Border




WAGAH
is a village situated near a road border crossing, goods transit terminal and a railway station between Pakistan and India, and lies on the Grand Trunk Road between the cities of Amritsar, Punjab, India, and Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.

The border is located 24 kilometres (15 mi) from Lahore and 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Amritsar. It is also 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the bordering village of Attari.

OVERVIEW

Wagah, named Wahga in Pakistan, is a village near which the accepted Radcliffe Line, the boundary demarcation line dividing India and Pakistan upon the Partition of India, was drawn. The village lies 600 meters west of the Border line. At the time of Independence in 1947, the migrants from the Indian parts of the subcontinent entered the present day Pakistan through this border crossing. The Wahga railway station lies 400 meters to the south and only 100 meters from the Border line itself. In Pakistan the Border crossing is known as Wahga Border whereas in India it is called Atari Border crossing, named after the Indian village Atari, which lies 500 meters east of the border line within Indian territory.

Wagah Border Ceremony


This ceremony takes place every evening before sunset at the Wagah border, which as part of the Grand Trunk Road was the only road link between these two countries before the opening of the Aman Setu in Kashmir in 1999. The ceremony starts with a blustering parade by the soldiers from both the sides, and ends up in the perfectly coordinated lowering of the two nations' flags. It is called the "beating retreat" border ceremony on the international level. One infantryman stands at attention on each side of the gate. As the sun sets, the iron gates at the border are opened and the two flags are lowered simultaneously. The flags are folded and the ceremony ends with a retreat that involves a brusque handshake between soldiers from either side, followed by the closing of the gates again. The spectacle of the ceremony attracts many visitors from both sides of the border, as well as international tourists. In October 2010, Major General Yaqub Ali Khan of the Pakistan Rangers decided that the aggressive aspect of the ceremonial theatrics should be toned down.

The lowering of the flags ceremony at Wagah border near Hussainiwala National Martyrs Memorial, is a daily military practice that the security forces of India (Border Security Force) and Pakistan (Pakistan Rangers) have jointly followed since 1959. The drill is characterized by elaborate and rapid dance-like maneuvers, which has been described as "colourful". It is alternatively a symbol of the two countries' rivalry, as well as brotherhood and cooperation between the two nations. One leader, however, described it as "ugly" and "vulgar".

Wagah Railway Station


Wagah Railway Station is located in Wagah, Punjab, Pakistan. It is the last station in Pakistan on the Lahore–Wagah Branch Line and serves as the border station before crossing into India. Wagah serves as a sub-urban station of Lahore and is also used for immigration and custom of passengers who travel between India and Pakistan via Samjhauta Express.

Wagah Border Suicide Attack 2014


On 2 November 2014, a suicide bombing took place at Wagah border following the daily border ceremony in Pakistan. The attack was claimed by three rival militant groups.

On the midnight of 9 January 2015, the FIA team led by special agents reportedly hunted and killed the mastermind of the attack in a police encounter which took place in Lahore. The Pakistan government officials confirmed the veracity of the reports.


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