By The Sampadak Express
Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed multiple states to conduct civil defence mock drills on May 7.
As part of the preparedness exercise, states have been instructed to operationalise air raid warning sirens, conduct civilian training on emergency protocols, and rehearse evacuation procedures. Additional measures include crash blackouts, camouflage of critical infrastructure, and testing of emergency response systems.
The directive comes in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which left 26 people primarily tourists dead, making it one of the worst terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama bombing. India has pledged a strong response, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi granting the armed forces full operational freedom to choose the timing and nature of retaliatory actions.
Following the attack, India announced a series of stringent countermeasures, including:
Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty
Closure of the Attari land border crossing
Downgrading of diplomatic relations with Pakistan
Cancellation of all visas issued to Pakistani nationals
Closure of Indian airspace to Pakistan International Airlines
In a tit-for-tat move, Pakistan has suspended all trade with India including via third countries and banned Indian airlines from its airspace. Cross-border tensions continue to rise, with Pakistani forces reported to have violated the ceasefire daily for the past 10 days.
Prime Minister Modi has chaired several high-level security meetings since the attack, emphasizing national preparedness and the need for vigilance among civilians and authorities alike.
Live updates will continue as the situation develops.
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