LAHORE: To boost the morale of the nation, Punjab Rangers allowed people on Monday to attend the flag-lowering ceremony at the Wagah border, a day after the devastating suicide attack that left 62 people dead.

Defying the threat posed by terrorists, a good number of people, including women and children, thronged the Wagah border to witness the ceremony. “I have come here along with my family to give a strong message to terrorists that the Pakistani nation is united and such cowardly acts cannot intimidate us,” Ishtiaq Ahmed of Lahore’s Mughalpura area told Dawn.

“When I came to know that the general public had been allowed to go to the flag-lowering ceremony, I asked my wife and two children to get ready to go to Wagah. My wife also was eager to go because we are of the view that people should come out and tell the terrorists that the whole nation is standing by its armed forces and will not let them succeed in their nefarious designs,” he added.

People demonstrated their resolve by chanting patriotic slogans. Although the mood of the ceremony was sombre because of the Sunday’s tragedy, the participants were highly charged.

Saad Hasan, a grade-VI student this reporter spoke to said: “Yesterday while watching TV, I came to know that many people had been killed in the blast. Today when my father asked me if I am interested in going to watch the Rangers’ parade at Wagah, I simply said yes.”

Lahore Corps Commander praises the nation’s resolve and high morale

“I am here for the second time and I enjoyed the parade but thinking about yesterday’s incident made me sad,” said Hasan who came from Cantonment, along with his father and elder brother.

Following the suicide blast, the Rangers authorities had decided not to allow the general public to the flag-lowering ceremony for three days (Monday to Wednesday).

The Indian Border Security Force also followed suit.

But on Monday the Rangers changed the decision to “give a message to terrorists that such cowardly acts cannot diminish the zeal and enthusiasm of Pakistanis”.

“We have decided at a meeting today that people should not be stopped from coming here and watching the flag-lowering ceremony,” Punjab Rangers spokesman Maj Shahid Abbas told Dawn.

He said the presence of a large number of people at the ceremony had boosted the morale of the nation.

Lahore Corps Commander Lt Gen Naweed Zaman, Punjab Rangers Director General Maj Gen Tahir Javed Khan, General Officers Commanding Maj Gen Aamir Abbasi, Maj Gen Fida Hussain Malik, Lahore police chief retired Capt Amin Wains and other senior officials of law-enforcement agencies attended the ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, Gen Naweed Zaman condemned the dastardly act of terrorism and commended the nation’s resolve and high morale. Praying for those killed in the blast, he expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

“These cowardly incidents cannot lower the nation’s resolve to eliminate the menace of terrorism,” he said.

He applauded the morale of Rangers personnel who have rendered supreme sacrifices in the war against terrorism.

According to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations, the message from people who attended the ceremony was loud and clear: the nation stands united against all odds and is determined to eradicate terrorism from the country.

“The spectators expressed their strong will to join hands with the armed forces to fight back and crush this menace in totality, no matter what the cost is,” it said.

ISPR Director General Maj Gen Asim Bajwa Tweeted that flag-lowering ceremony at Wagah demonstrated resolve of the nation. “We stand united to eliminate terrorism.”

The ceremony draws a large number of people, including foreigners, on both sides of the border.

Published in Dawn, November 4th , 2014