In a bid to enhance the area domination by Border Security Force (BSF) troops and thwart potential security threats, a night curfew has been imposed along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district. The decision comes as authorities aim to prevent cross-border infiltration and the smuggling of weapons through drones, particularly in the extreme foggy weather conditions prevailing along the Indo-Pak border line.
The official order, issued by District Magistrate Abhishek Sharma on Sunday, outlines the restrictions on the movement of civilians within a one-kilometer strip from the IB in Samba district. The curfew will be in effect from 9 pm to 6 am.
“No person or group of persons shall move in the area up to one kilometer along the International Border in district Samba from 2100 hours to 0600 hours during the night,” stated the District Magistrate in the order, invoking Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code to enforce the night curfew along the IB.
The decision to impose the night curfew was taken following a meeting of the district-level standing committee, during which BSF authorities recommended the daily imposition of a night curfew to enhance their operational efficiency.
The order emphasizes the need for regulating the movement of people in border areas to ensure better area domination by BSF and to counteract any nefarious designs of entities posing a threat to Indian security. In case movement is necessary during the curfew hours, individuals are required to produce their respective ID cards to BSF and police authorities.
The order warns that any violation of these restrictions will be dealt with in accordance with the law. Since serving the order individually is not feasible, it is issued ex-parte.
The night curfew will come into force immediately and will remain in effect for a period of two months from the date of issuance unless withdrawn or rescinded earlier, as stated in the order. Authorities are optimistic that these measures will contribute to bolstering security efforts along the International Border in the Samba district.