Punjab CM seeks detection equipment to check Pak drones

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday underlined the need for high-end precision detection equipment to check the use of drones by Pakistan to smuggle long-range weapons across the border.

The issue came up for discussion during the meeting convened by the Chief Minister here with the ruling party MPs from both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.

The Punjab Chief Minister expressed concern over the increase in the spate of activities by the ISI at the Punjab border in the wake of growing pressure in Jammu and Kashmir.

Amarinder Singh said he had already flagged the issue with the Centre and had written to the Ministry of Home Affairs back in August 2019, when the first of instance of use of such drones came to light.

He had expressed serious concern over the delivery of weapons through the drone like a long-range weapons consignment from across the Indo-Pak border, terming it a matter of national security concern.

He had pointed out in his letter that various lands of contraband, including weapons, explosives and drugs, could be safely delivered via drones.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister reiterated the need to prepare strategies for the development and installation of the required assets or infrastructure, such as radars, that can detect movement of different kinds of low flying conventional aerial platforms, such as UAVs and drones.

Suitable counter-measures against the use of such drones would also need to be evolved, he stressed. Besides the MPs, the meeting was attended by state Congress President Sunil Jakhar and senior officials of the state government.

( With inputs from IANS )