
Blackout enforced in many places in Punjab; drones spotted in Jalandhar, neutralised
The move comes amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan.
Chandigarh, May 8 (PTI) A blackout was enforced in several districts of Punjab like Pathankot, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Mohali and also the Union Territory Chandigarh on Thursday evening, officials said.
In Pathankot district, some locals claimed they heard explosion-like sounds. However, there was no official confirmation in this regard.
'There was loud noise, like sounds of bombing, and also non-stop sirens. It was too scary,' said a resident of Sujanpur in Pathankot.
Air raid warning sirens were activated in Pathankot where the blackout was enforced around 8:30 pm.
Authorities appealed to people to keep their lights switched off and stay at home. They also said there was no need to panic.
Pathankot Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal asked citizens in the border district to remain inside their homes and follow the protocols of the blackout.
The blackout was enforced in some other parts including Rupnagar, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Bathinda, Patiala and Haryana's Panchkula.
Officials said the blackout was enforced as a precautionary measure to ensure safety of citizens.
Meanwhile, the Mohali district administration declared jurisdiction of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar as 'No Flying Zone' for drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
District Magistrate, SAS Nagar, Komal Mittal while exercising the power conferred upon under section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, ordered that the whole jurisdiction of SAS Nagar shall be 'No Flying Zone' with effect from May 8 till July 5.
However, this order shall not be applicable on law enforcement agencies –police, paramilitary, air force, SPG personnel and persons authorized by competent government authority.
Punjab is in alert mode with schools in border districts closed and leaves of all police personnel cancelled, officials said a day after India struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
Tensions escalated after Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke, in retaliation for the terror attack in Pahalgam.
On Thursday night, India swiftly thwarted Pakistan's fresh attempts to strike military sites with drones and missiles including in Jammu and Pathankot after foiling similar bids at 15 places in northern and western regions of the country. PTI CHS SUN VSD ZMN
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
40 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
'Ties strong enough to...': India on Muizzu's brother-in-law criticising PM Modi
The relationship between India and Maldives has withstood the test of time, said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Friday, when asked about a purported now-deleted social media post made by Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's brother-in-law. Mohamed Muizzu (R), shakes hand with PM Modi after signing a memorandum of understanding between the two countries in Male.(AP) Junking the post as "passing remarks", Misri said India looks forward to strengthening ties with Maldives. "Our ties are strong enough to withstand some of these passing remarks that have been made and have also withstood the test of time. I would prefer to look forward," the Foreign Secretary said. As PM Modi visits Maldives, several media reports had said that Muizzu's brother-in-law Abdullah bin Mohammed Ibrahim made a post on social media criticising PM Modi. The post has now reportedly been taken down. Reacting to a question about it, Misri said India and Maldives have withstood such remarks, adding, "by going with everything that has happened today and especially in the past 9-10 months since President Mohamed Muizzu visited India, the future is undoubtedly and unquestionably bright." Thaw in India-Maldives ties PM Modi's visit to the Maldives marks a significant shift in the India-Maldives relations, which soured in 2023 after Muizzu was elected President, on the back of an 'India Out' campaign. What further triggered a storm was posts criticising PM Modi, made by some members in Muizzu's government, following which Indian tourists started boycotting trips to Maldives, a popular tourist destination. However, ties started to restore by 2024 as both India and Maldives decided to restart diplomatic dialogue. While in Maldives, PM Modi affirmed faith into the India-Maldives diplomatic ties, calling them 'older than history and as deep as the sea.' 'India is the Maldives' closest neighbour. The Maldives holds an important place in both India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy and its Vision MAHASAGAR. India is proud to be the Maldives' most trusted friend," PM Modi said. Mohamed Muizzu also congratulated PM Modi for completing 4,078 consecutive days in office.


Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
99.8% of Bihar voters turned in forms before deadline: EC
NEW DELHI: Over 7.2 crore electors in Bihar - covering 99.8% of state's electorate after accounting for 64 lakh electors reported deceased, permanently migrated, untraceable or registered at more than one location - turned in their signed enumeration forms before the deadline for first phase of SIR expired on Friday, earning themselves a place in the draft electoral roll to be published on Aug 1. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Enumeration forms of 1.2 lakh electors were not received. Stating that the 7.23 crore electors had expressed "full faith in the special intensive revision process with their active participation", EC on Friday announced that all the 7.23 crore forms received had been digitised. "The digitisation of forms, along with booth level officer (BLO) reports, of the remaining electors will also be completed by August 1, 2025," the poll panel added. Sources said these "remaining electors" include the 22 lakh electors reported as deceased, 7 lakh as registered at more than one place, 35 lakh as permanently shifted or untraceable, by the BLOs and 1.6 lakh booth level agents of 12 political parties. None of them will be in the draft electoral roll, though any elector or political party can file claims with the electoral registration officer (ERO) for anyone mistakenly left out by the BLO, between August 1 and September 1, 2025. During the same one-month period, they can file objections for removal of any of the 7.23 crore electors they view as ineligible. A parallel exercise is also going for first-time enrolments and those enrolling after shifting from outside of Bihar. EC is likely to undertake a drive in August to register new/shifted voters. Those seeking fresh enrolment must fill Form 6 and the ones shifting from outside Bihar, Form 8. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In both cases, the applicants must attach a declaration form stating that they are citizens of India and attach documents establishing their date and place of birth; and where required, that of their parents as well. If born outside India, they must also attach proof of birth registration issued by the Indian mission abroad or their certification of registration of citizenship acquired by naturalisation. EC on Friday said the credit for successful completion of first phase of SIR goes to the Bihar chief electoral officer (CEO), 38 district election officers, 243 EROs, 2,976 Assistant EROs 77,895 BLOs and volunteers; besides all 12 political parties, their 38 district presidents and 1.6 lakh BLAs.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Family of Bengali migrant pushed into B'desh submits land docus dating back to 1950s
1 2 Malda: Family members of Malda resident Sk Amir, who has been pushed into Bangladesh after being arrested by Rajasthan Police, have produced land documents to prove that they have been living in Malda's Kaliachak since at least 1950s. Amir's kin produced their land documents at Kaliachak police station on Friday to prove that he is a legitimate Indian citizen. Amir, 22, was jailed in Rajasthan for two months on the suspicion of being Bangladeshi before being pushed into Bangladesh by BSF on Tuesday night. His father, Jiyem Sheikh, said his elder son had gone to Chittor along with several others from their neighbourhood to work as a labourer. After working there for a few days, local cops detained them. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata "While others had EPIC, PAN and Aadhaar, my son had only Aadhaar. He tried to convince the cops that he was from Malda but was labelled a Bangladeshi. I visited Kaliachak police station and submitted all documents including my land records. Our family has been living in Malda's Jalalpur for 400 years. We are poor, how can we rush to Rajasthan with all the documents?" the distraught father told TOI. Rajya Sabha MP and Bengal Migrant Welfare Board chairperson Samirul Islam said they had also received the land documents. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Refrigerator Sale 2025 – Discover Big Discounts on Trusted Brands! Refrigerators | Search Ads Search Now Undo "We have no doubt that Amir is an Indian. Let us see how long it takes to prove this to Rajasthan police and BSF," he said. Jiyem said he and his younger son, Arman, were themselves working as migrant labourers in Gaya for the past 20 days but rushed back to Jalalpur after being summoned by Kaliachak police. "Our contract is not over but we returned as soon as possible. We just hope to get back our son who is missing for more than two months," he added. In a video that went viral on Thursday, Amir was purportedly seen crying and saying, "I was working in Rajasthan. Police picked me up saying I was a Bangladeshi. I showed my Aadhaar card. I got additional documents of my parents from Kaliachak. But they insisted on ID proof that I did not have. They kept me in jail for two months. Cops handcuffed me and brought me here (unidentifiable place) and BSF pushed me into Bangladesh. I don't know anybody in Bangladesh, I have nothing to eat." Jiyem said the man who had made the video in Bangladesh had called him and said Amir was found at Ghumra on the other side of Ghojadanga border in North 24 Parganas. Amir is not the only Bengali-speaking migrant to be pushed into Bangladesh by BSF. On June 26, six Birbhum residents, including three minors, who were arrested by Delhi Police were pushed into Bangladesh by BSF. Their kin have filed a habeas corpus petition in Calcutta High Court and cited land records of their grandparents dating back to 1950s. In mid-June, Bengal govt put "pressure" on BSF to secure the return of a young Bagdah couple forcibly pushed into Bangladesh. They had been detained by Maharashtra police despite having Aadhaar, EPIC, birth and school certificates. "It was only on receiving a call from Border Guard Bangladesh that we learnt that they were in their custody. BSF did not help us," said a family member.