Amid escalating tensions with India following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, authorities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have rolled out a series of emergency measures, fuelling speculation about potential military retaliation from New Delhi.
PoK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq issued a directive after an all-party meeting, urging residents near the Line of Control (LoC) to stockpile food and essentials.
Entry of tourists into sensitive areas such as Neelum Valley has been suspended, while religious seminaries across the region have been shut down.
Emergency Response Fund
Besides taking emergency measures, the PoK administration also announced the creation of a Rs 1 billion Emergency Response Fund to facilitate relief operations in case of conflict.
Civil defence forces have been put on high alert, and both official and private infrastructure teams have been mobilised to ensure key routes remain accessible in LoC-bordering districts like Neelum, Jhelum, Poonch, Haveli, Kotli, and Bhimber.
Authorities have also activated a rescue helpline (1122) for residents in need of immediate assistance, while monitoring of the LoC remains heightened.
The developments come amid heightened rhetoric from Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, vowing decisive retaliation.
Indian intelligence reports indicate that up to 40 terrorist launch pads are active across the LoC in PoK.
Other Measures
Pakistan has closed its airspace over Karachi and Lahore for several hours daily.
The PoK government has also shut all religious seminaries in the region for 10 days, officials said on Thursday, citing concerns they could be targeted by “imminent” Indian strikes.
PoK’s religious seminaries – locally known as madrasas – are Islamic educational institutions, which have been criticised for radicalising youth towards Islamist extremism.
Calls For Action
Calls for decisive action have gained traction in India, with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi recently urging the government to reclaim PoK—invoking past military responses like the 2016 surgical strikes and 2019 Balakot airstrikes.
The recent Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people, including 25 tourists, has pushed Indo-Pak tensions to their highest level in years. While India has promised “unimaginable punishment,” Pakistan has warned against any “misadventure.”
The global community, including the United States, has urged both nations to avoid further escalation.
