Chandigarh administration issues air warning alert, sounds sirens

Chandigarh: The Chandigarh administration on Friday issued an air warning of a possible attack, following which sirens were sounded.

“This is a precautionary measure in view of an air warning received from the Air Force Station. Citizens are advised to stay calm, remain inside their homes, and await further instructions from official sources,” said a statement from the DC’s office.

In Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, authorities declared the closure of all educational institutions till Saturday.

A barrage of coordinated disinformation has been carried out by certain social media handles in general and mainstream media in particular in Pakistan with the sole objective to instil fear among the Indian masses, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said on Friday.

The fact-check unit of the PIB said a video of a drone attack in Jalandhar in Punjab was widely being circulated to create panic among the masses. The PIB investigated the video and found that it was an unrelated video of a farm fire. The video had a timeline of 7.39 p.m., while the drone attack began later. The same was backed by the Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar.

Amid heightened tension, Punjab, which shares a 532-km border with Pakistan, has ordered the closure of all educational institutes and cancelled exams.

I.K. Gujral Punjab Technical University in Jalandhar on Friday said that with the approval of the competent authority, the end semester examinations being held have been postponed until further notice due to unforeseen circumstances.

The revised schedule for the examinations will be announced at least five days prior to the new date of commencement, it added.

The state government has set up a control room for the convenience of people. It can be reached at landline phone numbers 0172-2741803 and 0172-2749901.

Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said in view of the evolving situation, “it is hereby ordered that all schools, colleges, and universities — government, private, and aided — across the entire Punjab would remain completely closed for the next three days.

On Thursday night, blackouts were reported in six border districts of Punjab — Ferozpur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran, where Pakistani drones attempted to infiltrate.

Amid soaring tensions between India and Pakistan, people in some border villages of Punjab have started moving to safer places. Villagers settled in Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, and Tarn Taran districts close to the International Border began shifting their belongings to safer places despite the BSF, the Indian Army and even the local civil authorities not having issued any official evacuation orders.

The leave of all Punjab Police personnel was also cancelled. Punjab shares a 532-km-long border with Pakistan. Therefore, during any military tension, the role of the Punjab government and its security and law enforcement agencies becomes extremely crucial.

IANS