Amritsar, September 29, 2016: After Surgical strikes targeting terrorist “launch pads” across the Line of Control (LoC), villages inhabitants around the ten kilometers of Indo-Pak international border started to leave their houses and business establishments in panic.
Heads of local gurdwaras, temples with the help of Sarpanches have asked the people to start evacuation at the earliest possible in the light escalating situation on international border.
However, Border Security Force (BSF) put the international border on further alert after the surgical strikes, since tensions mounted between the two countries, Border Security Force officials confirmed the beating retreat ceremony stands canceled for today.
Inhabitants of border villages like Rasoolpur, Bhania, Doekey, Bheropal, Hardo Rattan,Dhariwal Udhar, Dhaoney, Rajatal, Mahawa,Bachiwnd, Shahura, Kiralgarh, Chak Allahbaksh, Kakar Rania, Ajnala, Ramdas falling in the Amritsar district have already begun evacuation on mass level and taking shelter in gurdwaras and inns.
Similar state of affair prevailing in the neighboring district Tarn Taran where the border villages Patti, Khemkaran, Gazal, Khalra,Nausher Dhalla, Mehndipur,Ratokey,Chhina, Muthiawall.
Due to escalating situation, there was heavy crowd of villagers was found in all the petrol pumps as queue went up to a kilometer since people were in hurry to top up the fuel tanks of tractors, commercial vehicles used for agriculture cultivation besides thier own four wheelers.
Villagers especially female were noticed with writ large tensions on their faces as they were buying vegetable in bulk to store for future due to panic as perishable items may run in shortage.
Meanwhile SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar has directed the heads of all the Gurdwaras in villages to accommodate the people who were leaving their houses due to escalating situation. Makkar also cleared all the heads that affected people must be accommodated with food and accommodation.
Virsa Singh Valthoa who is MLA from border constituency of Valthoa said there was no army deployment in the border villages but there was heavy deployment of BSF in the all the border villages.
Valthoa said there was great apprehension of Surgical strike from Pakistan side in retaliation during midnight that is why people were asked to vacate the villages falling in the ten kilometers radius of international border.
He said that at the same time temporary camps in the village gurdwaras were also arranges with food and other basic facilities.