Ahead of the 19th Commonwealth Games this October, the Queen’s Baton Relay will cross over from Pakistan into India amidst the tightest security arrangements ever witnessed at the Attari-Wagah Border — the only official road crossing along the 553km border separating the two Punjabs since the Partition of 1947.
Both India’s Border Security Force and Pakistan’s frontier force — the Sutlej Rangers, have deployed elaborate security paraphernalia to ensure safe passage as the Baton crosses over on Friday morning. Indian Olympic Association chief Suresh Kalmadi will receive the Baton from his Pakistan counterpart Mr Syed Arif Hassan at a grand ceremony slated to begin at 9.25 am.
The BSF and the Rangers want to make sure the never before event is not disrupted by extremist elements on either side. There are security related concerns in both countries in view of a string of recent incidents uncomfortably close to the celebrated border check post. For instance, there have been half-a-dozen instances where suspected pro-Taliban elements in the border villages of Pakistani Punjab launched rockets into Indian territory including one instance where an Indian farmer sustained injuries.
Furthermore, terrorist elements in Pakistan have amply demonstrated their capacity to strike virtually at will both in the recent bombings in Lahore as well as their siege last year of a Punjab (Pakistan) Police training centre.