Beating Retreat at Wagah Border is starting from today

By a Staff Reporter: After a 12-day suspension due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the Beating Retreat ceremony is set to resume today, May 20 (Tuesday), at three major border points in Punjab — Attari (Amritsar), Hussainiwala (Ferozepur), and Sadiqi (Fazilka). However, the ceremony will return with strict restrictions and limited public access, in light of recent security concerns.

While the traditional flag-lowering ceremony will be carried out jointly by the Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers, there will be no opening of the gates or handshake between the forces, as was customary before. The BSF will conduct the ceremony on the Indian side, and the Pakistan Rangers will do so on their side independently.

On the first day of the resumed event, the ceremony will not be open to the general public. Only accredited media representatives will be allowed to witness the proceedings today. The event will commence at 6 PM sharp. From May 21 onward, the public will once again be allowed to attend the ceremony.

The suspension of the Beating Retreat ceremony followed the May 8 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people were killed. In response, Indian armed forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, targeting and destroying nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Over 100 terrorists were reportedly killed during the operation.

Following the Indian offensive, Pakistan retaliated with drone and missile strikes, heightening tensions across the border. The situation prompted Indian authorities to halt public access to the ceremony for security reasons, though the BSF continued the flag-lowering ritual privately.