Pathankot (Punjab) [India], June 25 (ANI): In preparation for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Yatra 2025, the Punjab Police has rolled out a multi-layered and inter-agency security and coordination plan to ensure the safe and smooth passage of pilgrims, especially through the sensitive Pathankot district, said Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla on Wednesday.

'In order to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Yatra 2025, Punjab Police has implemented a comprehensive, multi-layered, and inter-agency security and coordination plan, deploying advanced surveillance, strategic force deployment, and round-the-clock coordination for the safety of pilgrims,' said Special Director General of Police (Special DGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla here on Wednesday.

The sacred Shri Amarnath Yatra 2025 is scheduled to commence on July 3, 2025 and will continue till August 9, 2025. This annual pilgrimage draws lakhs of devotees from all across India, many of whom travel through Punjab, particularly Pathankot district, on their way to the holy cave shrine in Jammu & Kashmir.

The Special DGP was chairing a high-level comprehensive security and coordination meeting of Police, Army, Civil Administration, and other security agencies to review and strengthen the security arrangements for the annual pilgrimage.

The meeting, which was held in Pathankot, focused on strategic preparations for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, encompassing diverse aspects such as police deployment, security measures, traffic management, and disaster management, the statement added.

Special DGP Arpit Shukla emphasised the need for heightened vigilance given Pathankot's strategic location, which shares 26.385 km of international border with Pakistan and houses critical defence installations.

He said that the level of security has been further escalated with a Commandant-level officer made in-charge of all the roads leading to Jammu & Kashmir. He informed that the Yatra route has been divided into well-defined security sectors under the charge of Commandant-rank officers, ensuring 24x7 ground-level supervision and rapid response capabilities in case of any exigency.

'A 24x7 Command and Control Centre has been established at Nakka Madhopur, supervised by a Gazetted Officer, to monitor all vehicle and pilgrim movements using advanced surveillance systems,' he added.

The Special DGP said that daily anti-sabotage and security checks are being carried out at sensitive locations, including railway stations, bus stands, langar (community kitchen) sites, religious places, and across the full Yatra route, to detect and deter any potential threats. The security arrangements are being implemented under the direct supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pathankot Daljinder Singh Dhillon.

He directed the concerned officers to ensure seamless coordination among all stakeholders, including the Indian Army, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Armed Police Force (Punjab Police), Jammu & Kashmir Police, Himachal Pradesh Police, and other central agencies.

He further highlighted that he has additional technical support, including mobile surveillance units, high-resolution CCTV monitoring, drone-based aerial surveillance, GPS-enabled patrolling, and real-time reporting mechanisms are also being actively used to keep vigil around suspicious people.

Meanwhile, the police have briefed and trained the owners and staff of petrol pumps, dhabas, hotels, guest houses, and other roadside establishments along the route to report any unusual activity, suspicious objects, or unidentified persons to the nearest police station without delay.

Prominent officers including DIG Border Range Satinder Singh, AIG Sukhminder Singh Mann, Deputy Commissioner Pathankot Aditya Uppal, Deputy Commissioner Hoshiarpur Ashika Jain, Deputy Commissioner Kathua Dr Rakesh Minhas, SSP Pathankot Daljinder Singh Dhillon, SSP Hoshiarpur Sandeep Kumar Malik and senior officers from Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Central agencies, and police and civil officials from adjoining states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh were also present in the meeting.(ANI)