As Pak violates ceasefire again, vigilance remains high in states
With Pakistan breaching the ceasefire agreement just hours after its announcement, Indian states remained on alert.
The ceasefire agreement, announced on May 10, came after a period of heightened military tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The escalation was triggered by a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists. India blamed Pakistan-backed terror groups for the massacre, following which it conducted military strikes on terrorist camps inside Pakistan on May 7.
The ceasefire was first announced by US President Donald Trump via a social media post, in which he praised both countries for their cooperation and emphasised the importance of restraint and diplomacy.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has initiated civil defence drills across seven states. These include the operationalisation of air raid sirens, civilian training on protective measures and updated evacuation plans — steps reminiscent of drills last seen during the 1971 war.
Earlier, most district administrations withdrew blackout orders, but fresh blackout orders were imposed as Pakistan violated ceasefire.
It is pertinent to note that even during past ceasefire agreements, Pakistan has frequently engaged in unprovoked firing across the border. Before 2021, India recorded thousands of such incidents each year — with 5,133 violations in 2020 and 3,479 in 2019, the year Article 370 was revoked in J&K.
In February 2021, India and Pakistan had agreed to recommit to the 2003 ceasefire agreement after talks between their Director Generals of Military Operations. Yet, in 2022 alone, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire six times.
Meanwhile, a 21-year-old engineering student has been arrested in Gujarat’s Anand city for allegedly posting objectionable comments about Operation Sindoor on a social media platform, the police said on Saturday. Nihar Ahmed Ismael allegedly called the operation a “terrorist attack” in an Instagram post, a police statement said.
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