LAHORE: The Pakistani border force, Punjab Rangers, on Wednesday offered sweets and exchanged greetings with their Indian counterparts at Wagah borders to mark the Hindu festival of Diwali in resumption of the customary exchange of good wishes suspended for the last many months due to tensions between the two neighbouring states.

Punjab Rangers had refused to accept sweets from Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on Eidul Fitr this July as hostilities between India and Pakistan were at their peak at that time amidst cross-border firing incidents at the Sialkot Working Boundary and Ceasefire Line in AJK, besides violence in the occupied Kashmir.

The tense relations affected even the sports events as the future of a cricket series between the two countries hangs in balance.

Similarly, Pakistani artists have been forced to cancel their performances in various Indian cities by extremists.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2015