In a dramatic development along the Indo-Pak border, Punjab Police arrested a 24-year-old Pakistani national identified as Husnain, who was caught while attempting to cross illegally into Indian territory near Gurdaspur. The man was carrying a Pakistani National Identity Card and Rs 40 in Pakistani currency at the time of his arrest.
Initial investigations suggest Husnain is mentally ill and wandered across the border unknowingly, with no immediate evidence linking him to any terror outfit. However, his arrest has raised concerns, coming at a time of soaring tensions between India and Pakistan.
This incident follows the devastating Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians lost their lives, marking the deadliest such incident in Jammu and Kashmir since Pulwama in 2019. In response, India has taken a series of stringent measures, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, shutting the Attari border, revoking Pakistani visas, and closing Indian airspace to Pakistani aircraft.
Further complicating the security scenario, Punjab Police on Sunday arrested two Indian nationals — Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih — for allegedly leaking sensitive photos and information about military cantonments and airbases in Amritsar to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI. A third suspect, Harpreet, currently lodged in Amritsar Jail under an NDPS case, is expected to be brought on a production warrant.
Amid growing fears of cross-border escalation, blackout drills are being conducted in several Punjab border towns, including Ferozepur. Electricity in cantonment areas was cut for 30 minutes on Sunday night to simulate emergency preparedness during potential wartime scenarios. Announcements were made via loudspeakers to inform civilians in advance, and security was heightened throughout the region.
With tensions continuing to rise, authorities are on high alert, and citizens along the border have been advised to remain vigilant.
