Sir: The suicide attack near the Wagah border crossing is a matter of grave concern. It could easily have sparked much greater tension between Pakistan and India and created a major international incident. The bomber was able to approach within 600 metres of the border and struck as people were leaving the border flag lowering ceremony. He took 60 people with him when he blew himself up, nearly all of them civilians. Even though the government imposed a three-day ban on civilians visiting Wagah and said that the ceremony would be very understated for the next few days, on Monday thousands of people still went to Wagah in a show of defiance against the terrorists. Taking cognizance of the people’s will, the government withdrew its order partially and the ceremony went ahead as usual. In a strong gesture, the Corps Commander Lahore also went to the ceremony, though in civilian garb. This was a good way to show solidarity with the people. One could see that the border guards at Wagah appreciated the gesture. Symbolic defiance is crucial in our fight against terrorism since, as the name implies, terrorists do not just want to kill us, they want to break our will. The people of Pakistan have proved yet again that this is no easy task. SHAMIM AHMADKarachi