NEW DELHI: India said on Friday it would completely seal the
border with Pakistan by December 2018 and, in a sign that the military
escalation could be abating, allowed evacuated local residents in Punjab
to return home.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in
Jaisalmer that all effective means, including technological solutions,
would be used to seal off the border.
Speaking to media
after reviewing the security situation on border with ministers and
officials of four states, Mr Singh proposed setting up a border security
grid for which suggestions have been invited from all the stakeholders
concerned, including the states which share border with Pakistan.
“It is a new concept. We will be framing guidelines after getting suggestions from all stakeholders,” Mr Singh said.
He
said under the action plan of sealing the border, technology would also
be used. “Like we have riverine and Sir Creek area in Gujarat, there we
will make maximum use of technology for effective sealing of border.”
Mr
Singh chaired the meeting of officials of states along the border. The
government also decided to stop evacuation of people from villages in
six districts of Punjab within 10km of the border with Pakistan.
Punjab
Chief Minister’s Adviser on National Affairs Harcharan Bains said Mr
Singh conveyed the decision to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal
at a meeting of the border states at Jaisalmer.
“The
Punjab government has decided to allow the people to return homes in
the border areas. People who had to leave their homes following the
earlier directive of centre government can now return to their homes,”
he said.
In the wake of disputed surgical strikes by Indian army commandos inside Azad Kashmir, New Delhi had ordered evacuation of people from areas within 10km of the India –Pakistan border.
The
state government has directed deputy commissioners of all districts
concerned to take immediate steps to ensure smooth return of the
affected people back to the border villages. The Centre had on Sept 29
asked the state to evacuate people residing in border villages, which
included Ferozepur, Fazilka, Amritsar, Taran Tarn, Gurdaspur and
Pathankot.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Congress has welcomed
the reversal of evacuation orders, saying it vindicated the party’s
stand that it was not required in the first place.
“Evacuations
had been ordered to create war hysteria for vested political interests
by the Akali-BJP alliance. Since the decision boomeranged on them,
eventually they had to withdraw this,” said Capt Amarinder Singh,
president of Punjab Congress.
