In the wake of the Pathankot terror attack, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking setting up of a joint team of officials of the state and Central security agencies to visit the border with Pakistan, identify vulnerable spots and plug them.
Badal sought a team comprising Secretary of Border Management, Home Department; Director General, Border Security Force (BSF); Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB) and State Police to inspect the condition of the border fencing in Punjab — mainly Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts — and adjoining area of Jammu, besides identifying the vulnerable points and suggesting methods to seal them, biannually or as required.
In a letter to the Union Home Minister, Badal wanted him to accord top most priority to this exercise to be undertaken by the joint team to ensure security of the border and safety of the people residing in its vicinity.
The Chief Minister informed Rajnath Singh that there have been instances in recent past of suicide attacks in Punjab at Dinanagar on July 27, 2015 and Pathankot airforce base on January 1. These suicide attackers are suspected to have intruded into India from the international border in Punjab or adjoining area of Jammu and Kashmir, he said.