CHANDIGARH: Within hours of India and Pakistan declaring a ceasefire, the neighbouring country unilaterally broke the peace by indulging in shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
Following this, blackouts were re-imposed in several districts of Punjab, as well as in Ambala, Haryana, which houses a key air force base.
Sources said complete blackouts were suddenly imposed as a precautionary measure in six border districts of Punjab—Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Ferozepur, and Fazilka—after local administrations were alerted about ceasefire violations by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.
Additional blackouts were also enforced in Moga, Sangrur, Patiala, Hoshiarpur, Muktsar, Barnala, and Bathinda. Street lights were switched off in many parts of the state. Ambala in Haryana also faced blackout due to its strategic air force base.
Sources claimed that a drone was spotted in Fazilka and Pathankot districts.
Earlier in the day, the district administrations of Sangrur, Rupnagar, and Fazilka had withdrawn blackout orders, while authorities in districts like Jalandhar, Kapurthala, and Patiala also cancelled restrictive orders.
Local authorities in districts including Jalandhar, Pathankot, and Kapurthala had advised the closure of markets and commercial establishments and urged citizens to avoid large gatherings in the wake of the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan.