Tensions Escalate Over Kashmir: India Conducts ‘Blackout’ Drill, Pakistan Approaches UN

Tensions between neighboring countries India and Pakistan have taken a new turn amid growing unease. The Indian Army recently conducted a sudden ‘blackout’ drill near the Kashmir border, plunging parts of Punjab’s Firozpur cantonment area into darkness for about half an hour, during which residents were instructed to switch off all lights.

According to Indian military sources, the drill aimed to assess preparedness for implementing blackout procedures during wartime scenarios.

Simultaneously, India has reportedly reduced the water flow of the Chenab River into Pakistan using the Baglihar Dam. Additionally, plans are underway to regulate the flow of the Jhelum River through the Kishanganga Dam.

Terming these actions “provocative and aggressive,” Pakistan has announced it will raise the issue at the United Nations Security Council. Islamabad has instructed its permanent representative to the UN, Munir Akram, to call for an emergency session on the matter.

In a statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that India’s military provocations, inflammatory rhetoric, and violations of the Indus Waters Treaty will all be presented before the Security Council.

It is noteworthy that on April 22, a gun attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists. India blamed Pakistan for the incident, an allegation Islamabad has denied, instead calling for an impartial international investigation.