10052025-ATR-01.qxd 5/9/2025 11:49 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MAX 34°C | MIN 23°C YESTERDAY MAX 33°C | MIN 21°C CHAALI KHOOH: DOCUMENTING CITY’S URBAN TRANSFORMATION CHRONICLING HEERS FROM PAGES OF COLONIAL HISTORY BOLLYWOOD CELEBS LAUD INDIAN ARMY BRAVERY Chaali Khooh, meaning “40 wells”, today stands as a silent witness to the city’s transformation over the past century. P3 The book “The Lost Heer: Women in Colonial Punjab”, introduces us to countless women who carved their own path.P3 The Indian Army shot down more than 50 Pakistani drones during operation along the Line of Control. P4 » » SUNSET SATURDAY 7.16 PM SUNRISE SUNDAY 5.36 AM » SATURDAY | 10 MAY 2025 | AMRITSAR Narco-terror smuggling module busted, Schools, colleges closed, two held with 5 kg heroin, illegal weapons varsity postpones exams GNDU students on campus asked to shift to lower floors Our Correspondent Tarn Taran, May 9 The police have busted an international narco-terror smuggling module with the arrest its two operatives with 5 kg of heroin and illegal arms. Those arrested were identified as Lovepreet Singh, alias Love, and Jagroop Singh, both residents of Fateh village Chak in Tarn Taran. Besides 5 kg heroin, the police also recovered seven sophisticated pistols — including four .30 bore Beretta, two PX5 and one .30 bore Star Mark, Rs 7.20 lakh drug money and currency counting machine — from the possession of the accused. The police impounded their hatchback Hyundai i20 car. Abhimanyu Rana, SSP Tarn , Taran, said Lovepreet Singh was in direct contact with Pakistan-based smugglers and his foreign handlers. The consignments were being dropped with the help of The two accused in custody of the police in Tarn Taran. drones from across the border. The SSP said acting swiftly on reliable inputs, a police team of CIA staff under the supervision of DSP (Detective) Gurinderpal Singh Nagra conducted a targeted operation and apprehended Lovepreet Singh and Jagroop Singh near Molsari Palace on the outskirts of Tarn Taran, near Kakka Kandiala village, on Thursday night. The SSP said Lovepreet disclosed that he lived in a rented house at Green Avenue, near Chabal Chowk, Tarn Taran, which he was using as a safe haven for concealing the contraband. He said efforts were on to uncover the entire network of drug suppliers, dealers, buyers and hawala handlers. The SSP said further investigation was on to establish forward and backward links in the case. More arrests and recoveries could likely be made in the coming days, he said. A case under Sections 21(c), 23, 25 and 27 (a) of the NDPS Act and Section 25 (8) of the Arms Act was registered against the two accused at the Tarn Taran city police station, the SSP added. Amritsar, May 9 The escalating tension on the border between India and Pakistan has affected the student community with Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains announcing the closure of all schools, colleges and universities in the state until further orders. Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) has announced the postponement of exams scheduled from May 12 till May 17, until further notice for all its constituent and affiliated colleges as well. This comes in the wake of a reported air attack on Amritsar by Pakistan as the holy city is among the 15 cities on neighbouring hostile nation’s target. While the administration has already implemented blackouts as a cautionary measure, the fear of impending attacks has forced most outstation students of the GNDU to return home. The GNDU authorities have asked students, who remain on the campus, to shift to lower or ground floor rooms. “We The campus of Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar. have taken the decision to postpone exams to facilitate students. Around 150 students from girls’ hostels and a similar number from boys’ hostel have left for their homes. Many, who chose to stay back, have been assured of security and safety. The district administration has asked us to shift students to lower floors of hostels,” said Dr Karamjeet Singh Chahal, Registrar, GNDU. Vice-Chancellor Dr Karamjeet Singh today visited hostels and met students, including those who had come for abroad, to assure them of their safety. Dean Students Welfare and hostel wardens have been asked to ensure all safety arrangements for students. All private and government schools too will be working online till further notice. — TNS Powercutsamidblackouts India, Pak engaged in first drone war of South Asia region: War veteran disrupt sewage treatment Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 9 As night blackouts continue in Amritsar due to the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, the power supply to the city’s three main sewage treatment plants (STPs) was also disrupted, adversely impacting the city’s sewage treatment operations on the intervening night of May 7 and 8. The city has three sewage treatment plants (STPs) on the outskirts that include the one at Gaunsabad (95 MLD), second at Khapar Kheri (95 MLD) and the third at Chatiwind (27.5 MLD). Taking serious note of the issue, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Gulpreeet Singh Aulakh wrote to Amritsar Deputy Commissioner and officials of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) on May 8, requesting uninterrupted power supply to STPs during blackouts. Following the directive, on the intervening night of May 8 and 9, during the blackout that began at 9 pm, power was supplied to STPs at Khapar Kheri and Chatiwind. However, the Gaunsabad STP still faced power outage last night. A copy of the official letter issued by the MC Commissioner was also circulated among the authorities concerned for the timely solution of the issue. Senior officials claimed that the power cut issue had been addressed and all STPs would be functional today night. The government had spent Rs 360 crore under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project in 2019 on the STPs. The MC pays heavy operating costs to keep the plants functional round the clock. VETERANS’ TAKE Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 9 India and Pakistan are engaged in the first drone war of the South Asia region, says war veteran Maj Gen DD Singh, 87, Vishisht Sewa Medal. It has set a precedent with experts opining that the forces which master drone warfare would dominate the battlefield, he says. Having fought in the 1962 India-China, 1965 IndiaPakistan wars and insurgency in the North East, he said nuclear armed neighbours were currently locked in drone war. Nearly a fortnight after the Maj Gen (retd) DD Singh in Amritsar on Friday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR Pahalgam terror massacre, India retaliated with a barrage of missiles to dismantle terror infrastructure across the border. In response, Pakistan launched a wave of drone and missile attacks at cities across North India. “It is a new method of fight- ing in which instead of having pitched battles on the frontline, you just hop over and attack enemy targets inside its territory,” says the war veteran. “Certainly, all you are doing is providing the permanent defence. Instead of troops going inside the enemy territory, your job is being done by missiles and drones,” he says. “The current drone war cannot be described as a star wars, the term used by late US President Ronald Reagan for the future war. There is no comparison of star wars in which warranted action is taken at a high elevation, with the drone warfare which is much below level of the sky,” he says. The Maj General, who had retired in 1994 after a distinguished military career, commended the Narendra Modi government for launching a strike at terror infrastructure Mounting border tension brings alive Admn releases advisory for blackout protocol memories of previous Indo-Pak wars Tribune News Service Our Correspondent Assal Uttar (Tarn Taran), May9 The area of Tarn Taran, once a part of Amritsar district, was the worst affected during the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971. Assal Uttar village is located along the India-Pakistan border. It is the spot from where the Pakistani army entered the Indian territory in the 1965 war. Brave Havildar Abdul Hamid laid down his life while repulsing the attack by Patton tanks used by the Pakistan army. The village still remembers Havildar Abdul Hamid as a brave “Hero” on September 9 every year. Avtar Singh (75), a resident of Assal Uttar village, is one of the few parsons, who witnessed Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971. He says the 1965 war started during the night time. Avtar says, “I had a big haveli spread over a huge area in the village. I invited 50 fam- ABOUT ASSAL UTTAR VILLAGE Assal Uttar village is located along the India-Pakistan border. It is the spot from where the Pakistani army entered the Indian territory in the 1965 war. Brave Havildar Abdul Hamid laid down his life while repulsing the attack by Patton tanks used by the Pakistan army. The village still remembers Havildar Abdul Hamid as a brave “Hero” on September 9 every year. ilies of nearby farm houses to take shelter and have meals at my place when the war started.” He said there was continuous shelling by Indian Army and Pakistani army during the night, but luckily there was no casualty in the village. In the morning, villagers, along with their cattle, migrated to Faridewal village in Ferozepur district, where they stayed for almost one month. He said though there was tension, but no villager was willing to leave his/her home. Avtar said after one month, when people returned to their native Assal Uttar village, they came to know that their houses had been razed to the ground during the battle. He said there were mostly mud houses in the village and villagers used bullocks to plough their fields. Amritbeer Singh, a brick kiln owner of Assal Uttar village, said the life was quite normal and villagers kept themselves busy in day to day work before the 1965 war started. Sharing views about recent escalation of tension between India and Pakistan, Simaranjit Singh Bhullar, a resident of Rajoke, a border area village, said, “Normal life in our area has not been affected. Shops and other commercial establishments open as usual.” Amritsar, May 9 Under given war-like situation, the district administration has issued orders for blackout to be observed from 7.30 pm today. The administration has released blackout guidelines, which will immediately be applicable. As per the guidelines, siren sound means a warning signal and taking immediate caution. There will be no mock drills from now on. It is mandatory for all residents to strictly follow these instructions. On seeing any unidentified flying object or drone, residents have to immediately inform the control room or official concerned. The advisory states that only government instructions had to be trusted. As per the guidelines, residents have to turn off all lights in their homes. This includes main lights, inverter lights and any type of light that is visible outside of the residence. It is mandatory to turn off the inverter light at 7.30 pm every day. Curtains in houses have to be drawn completely. Resi- c m y b Lights turned off during blackout from 8.30 pm onwards in Amritsar on Friday. PHOTO: VISHAL KUMAR dents should not open windows or doors of their houses. Besides they should not spread or believe in rumours. All essentials devices, including mobile phones, power banks, torches and radios, should be charged beforehand. Neighbours and children have to be informed about any new developments. All residents have to be prepared for blackouts. Essentials like water, torch, shoes and documents should be kept together. In case a person is driving a car and hears a siren, he/she should immediately stop his/her vehicle, turn off its headlights and not move. There should be no vehicle or pedestrian on road after the siren is sounded. across the border after the Pahalgam attack on innocent tourists in front of their family members. “It is the best way to inflict damages at the enemy infrastructure, while ensuring minimum casualty of our men. For this, it is the best option the Prime Minister opted,” he says. “The way Pakistan is attacking civilian and military installations at night shows desperation of its political establishment,” he says. “This kind of war will become a new norm in the future. Instead of hitting the enemy at the border and suffering casualty, just go over and hit the opponent,” said the Maj General who had once headed the Mhow Infantry School. “I don’t think the war will last long. Pakistan does not have the means to fight for long. Sooner or later, it will buckle,” he says. Peddlers sent to 3-day police remand Amritsar, May 9 Two accused, identified as Gurpinder Singh and Sajan, arrested by the Counter Intelligence (CI) yesterday for drug peddling, have been sent to three-day police custody for further investigation. After busting international narco-smuggling module operated by foreign-based smuggler Jassa, the CI had recovered 10 kg heroin and Rs 1 lakh drug money from his two India-based operatives. The police had also impounded their motorcycle (PB-02-EM-2025) used for smuggling narcotics. Jassa is wanted in multiple cases registered under the NDPS Act and the Arms Act. According to the police authorities, this was the third module operated by Jassa which was busted by the CI in last 10 days. Earlier, an operative of Jassa identified as Abhishek was arrested with seven pistols and Rs 1.5 lakh. A few days after, the police recovered 5 kg of heroin from the hideout of Jassa’s absconding associate identified as Jodhbir Singh, alias Jodha. — TNS