Indian Army formulates joint security setup with Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir police

JAMMU: In a major boost to security architecture, the Indian Army has chalked out a joint security strategy with Police forces of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir to deal with any untoward situation along border districts of the two states.

At a high level meeting here, Army along with J&K and Punjab police chalked out a well-knitted joint security strategy for dealing with situation in the border districts of the two states in operation area of 9 Corps, Army officials said.

The meeting was initiated by Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu D Rana yesterday. Top officers of Army, police forces of J&K and Punjab took part in it.

This is the first of its kind meeting focusing on border belt security in which the Army, J&K Police, Punjab Police and other agencies conducted a joint rear area security exercise.

Apart from creation of new security architecture, the meeting also charted out an anti-drugs action plan to deal with the menace of rising drug smuggling in Punjab-Jammu axis, they said.

The fresh security setup will be implemented in areas under the Yole-based 9 Corps, which includes areas falling in Jammu, Samba, Kathua district of J&K and Gurdaspur, Pathankot districts of Punjab falling along the nearly 300 km of International border (IB) in these districts apart from the strategic national highway and key road network leading to Himachal Pradesh.

Officials said that the meeting debated on a detailed provisions and measures to look into the rear area security at the time of contingencies and basic purpose was to conduct a joint review, identify and validate rear area security exercise within the Army's 9 Corps zone.

They also debated on issues with regard to potential threats across the International Border in Jammu region, which faced several terror attacks in the past.