Pakistani, Indian MPs question flags lowering ceremony

DUBAI: Pakistan and India legislators and public officials have expressed their reservations and showed their anger over the lowering of the flags ceremony at the Wagah and Attari; border crossing of Pakistan and India respectively. And few members from Pakistan and India declared it as "ugly" and "vulgar".

Since 1959, the security forces of both countries Pakistan Rangers and Border Security Force (BSF) have been jointly lowering the flags daily along the border with aggressive military parade.

This came under discussion at the conclusion of the 11th round of Pakistan-India Legislators and Public Officials Dialogue in Dubai and it was facilitated by Pildat. Members of Pakistan and Indian parliaments; legislatures of different states of India and members of provincial assemblies of Punjab and Sindh alongside with the experts and media representatives participated in the dialogue.

After the declaration of the dialogue, the member of Legislative Assembly of Delhi (MLA) Advocate Madan Lal from Aam Adami Party asked Pakistan-India Legislators to abolish the lowering of the flags ceremony. He said with disillusionment to the legislators, “it is not into taste.”

Replying to the request of the Advocate Madan Lal, former Indian minister and senior leader of Congress Mani Shankar Aiyar abruptly and convivially said, “Make me prime minister of India, I will stop it.” But Mani Shankar Aiyar on the serious note stated that the lowering of the flags ceremony was “Ugly” and should be terminated immediately.

The participant of the Indo-Pak dialogue and member Sindh Assembly Mehtab Akbar Rashidi also expressed her distress over the ceremony. She said that the resolution had already been moved against the ceremonies at Wagha and Attari previously during Indo-Pak dialogue.

While talking to The News International, former Indian diplomat Mani Shankar Aiyar emphatically said that he had once watched the ceremony of lowering flags at Attari border crossing and did not like the rivalry without a benefit to any country.

Before the sunset of every evening along Indo-Pak border, the ceremony of lowering flags 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. The soldiers of this ceremony are specially appointed and trained for the ceremony. Also they have beard and moustache policy in which they are paid additionally.