New Delhi: Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan following the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, the Centre has directed all states to conduct coordinated security mock drills on Wednesday (May 7) in a bid to assess Civil Defence Readiness.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed states to activate air raid sirens, implement blackout procedures, camouflage critical infrastructure, and train civilians in emergency protocols to boost preparedness against potential hostile attacks.
The directive comes as the Line of Control sees its 11th consecutive night of cross-border firing by Pakistan. In Punjab’s Ferozepur, a blackout drill was already executed, with electricity cut off in the cantonment zone as part of the exercise.
The security move follows a sharp spike in tensions after 26 civilians were killed in the Pahalgam terror strike, allegedly orchestrated by Pakistan-based operatives — marking the deadliest attack in Jammu and Kashmir since Pulwama in 2019.
Top-level security meetings have taken place, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding back-to-back discussions with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. PM Modi vowed the perpetrators “will face the harshest punishment,” a sentiment echoed across the political spectrum.
In a swift diplomatic response, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, shut the Attari-Wagah border crossing, expelled Pakistani diplomats, and ordered all Pakistani visa holders in India to leave within 48 hours.
