Jaipur, March 24 (IANS) A balloon bearing the logo of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was recovered from a border village in Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan on Tuesday, prompting authorities to launch an investigation into its origin.

The incident was reported from Village 11 Joiyawali in the Jaitsar area, where a local farmer alerted the police after spotting the object in his field.

The farmer, Manpreet Singh, said he had gone to his farm to attend his irrigation turn when he noticed the balloon lying near the embankment.

According to initial observations, the balloon was found inflated and had a string of approximately three feet tied to it.

Following the information, a team from the Rajasthan Police reached the spot and began examining the object.

Officials said efforts are underway to determine where the balloon originated from and whether it was carrying or attached to any other suspicious material.

The Intelligence Department has also been informed about the recovery.

Authorities noted that similar balloons marked with the 'PIA' logo have been recovered from agricultural fields in the region on multiple occasions in the past.

In a related development, panic had spread in Bakhog village of Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district on March 22 after locals spotted a balloon carrying markings resembling those linked to Pakistan.

The balloon, with the acronym 'PIA' printed in green along with other symbols, was seen by residents Lokendra Thakur and his wife while they were on their way to their fields.

Such sightings have also been reported earlier from districts including Bilaspur, Una and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh.

Earlier in February, a similar balloon carrying the Pakistan International Airlines logo was recovered from a border village in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir.

--IANS

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