In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian authorities have intensified restrictions under the pretext of extraordinary security arrangements ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the territory tomorrow. According to Kashmir Media Service, Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Chenab railway bridge at Katra in Reasi district, marking the completion of the 272-kilometre Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL). He is also set to flag off a special train to Srinagar. 

In connection with the visit, additional companies of Indian forces’ personnel, including CRPF and other paramilitary forces, have been deployed across critical zones, including Banihal, Katra, and Srinagar. Security has been further heightened in Jammu, where Modi is expected to hold key interactions following the inauguration. A high-level coordination centre has been set up to monitor real-time updates, while drone units are patrolling key stretches of the railway line. 

“We have made elaborate and multi-layered security arrangements in coordination with central paramilitary forces”, said a senior Indian police officer from Jammu. All sensitive locations, particularly in Jammu and along the rail route, are under strict surveillance, with anti-sabotage checks, aerial surveillance, and drone monitoring already in place, he added. Another Indian official said that a coordinated security grid is in place, involving traffic control, air cover, Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs), and sniper deployment at vantage points.

“We are also conducting random checks and cordon and search operations (CASOs)”, the official added. Pertinently, visits by high-ranking Indian political and military figures routinely increase the hardships faced by the people of IIOJK. These so-called security measures imposed during such occasions further curtail the basic freedoms of the already subjugated population, compounding their daily suffering under the shadow of occupation.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)