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Tens of thousands of Pakistanis throng border with India

WAGAH, Pakistan, Friday (AFP) Tens of thousands of people thronged the Wagah border crossing between India and Pakistan in an unprecedented expression of their desire for friendship with India.

Dancing to traditional drum beats and chanting slogans of "Long Live Pakistan," they gathered at the Freedom Gate at the lone land crossing between the two countries as Pakistan celebrated its 56th Independence Day.

Border guards on this side hoisted the national flag around 7:55 am (0255 GMT) when traffic across the country came to a halt with the blaring of sirens from the civil defence organisations in cities and towns to mark the day. Soon after unfurling the flag Brigadier Sakhi Marjan of the Sutlej Rangers presented a crate of traditional Pakistani sweets to Indian Border Security Force's Battalion Commander D.K. Sharma. The rival officers greeted each other as the Indian commander accepted the gift with a broad smile.

The occasion this year comes amid growing signs of warmth in bilateral relations after a dangerous military standoff last year over the longstanding Kashmir dispute between the nuclear armed South Asian neighbours. In a surprise move in April, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee offered a "hand of friendship" to Pakistan during his visit to the insurgency-hit Indian zone of Kashmir.

The two countries have since restored cross border bus service, exchanged ambassadors and are scheduled to open talks later this month on the resumption of air links, suspended after the December 2001 attack on Indian parliament that was blamed by New Delhi on Pakistan-backed militants.

Streams of people, including youth carrying miniature flags, continued to pour in throughout the day, witnesses said, adding that it was a festive scene at Wagah. No anti-India slogans were heard, they said.

As crowds surged, vendors from the nearby city of Lahore rushed to set up special stalls selling snacks, fruit and cold drinks.

"An estimated 300,000 people visited the border," Rangers Inspector Alam Zeb to AFP. The Rangers had made special security arrangements and called in mounted guards to controll the crowds, he said.

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