Chandigarh, May 8 (PTI) There will be an eight-hour blackout starting at 9 pm on Thursday in Punjab's Gurdaspur district, said district authorities.

The move comes in the wake of escalating tension between India and Pakistan, officials said.

Also Read | India Bans Pakistan-Origin Content on OTT Platforms, Streaming Services After Operation Sindoor.

"Due to the sensitive situation at the Indo-Pak border, as per the directives of the government of India and the government of Punjab, to deal with the emergency situation under the Civil Defense Act 1968, there will be a complete blackout in Gurdaspur district from May 8 starting at 9 pm to 5 am of the next day till further orders," said an order issued by the Gurdaspur deputy commissioner.

While the order will not be applicable on the central jail and hospitals in the districts, their windows would remain shut during the period so that no lights are visible from outside, said the order.

Also Read | India Neutralised Pakistan's Attempts of Large-Scale Drone and Missile Attack on Indian Military Installations, Destroyed Air Defence System in Lahore: Colonel Sofiya Qureshi (Watch Video).

Tensions escalated after Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke, in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)