Punjab, HP, J&K security forces go into huddle over threat to Amarnath Yatra
Ravi Dhaliwal
Gurdaspur, July 3
With the threat of drones, drugs, infiltration and the Amarnath Yatra being derailed by anti-nationalist forces thick in the air, senior police officers from Punjab, HP and J&K and the BSF held a high-level meeting at Pathankot today. Officers of central agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB), also took part in it.
The focus was on reviewing arrangements pertaining to the ongoing Amarnath Yatra and to see how improvements could be made in the arrangements to check infiltration from across the border. The yatra commenced on June 29. A high alert has been sounded and will be in place till the yatra concludes on August 19.
500 securitymen deployed en route yatra
- At the meeting, it was decided to deploy 500 securitymen drawn from Punjab Police, Special Operations Group and other Commando units for the security of the pilgrims of the yatra
- Four companies of Central Armed Police Forces have also been stationed on the route of the yatra, which has been divided into five sectors
- Drone surveillance systems have been installed at strategic points. In the event of an eventuality, trauma centres have been established. Check posts jointly manned by the Pathankot Police and the BSF have been set up along the route
The meeting was presided over by Special ADGP Arpit Shukla. It was attended, among others, by Aditya Uppal, Deputy Commissioner, Pathankot; Shashank Anand and Yuvraj Dubey, both DIGs of the BSF (Gurdaspur Sector); Rakesh Kaushal, DIG (Border Range); Suhail Qasim Mir, SSP, Pathankot; and Anayat Ali, SSP, Kathua.
In the last one week, there have been rumours that two men carrying backpacks had been sighted at Kot Bhathian village near Bamiyal in Pathankot district. This was followed by yet another claim that two more men, wearing Army fatigues, had been sighted at Nanak Nagri near the Dinanagar railway station. The reports of these incidents turned out to be hoax.
