Himachal Pradesh Police have reached out to counterparts in Punjab and Rajasthan and sought assistance from the Indian Air Force after multiple balloons carrying the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) branding or the Pakistani flag were found across several districts of the hill state over the past few weeks, raising security concerns.

Police officials said investigations were underway to trace the origin of the balloons, even as preliminary checks have ruled out the presence of any explosive or surveillance material.

"So far, no suspicious devices such as gadgets, surveillance devices, trackers or materials have been found inside these balloons. We have contacted our counterparts in states sharing a border with Pakistan where similar balloons were found to get their insights," police said.

Although no FIR has been registered, authorities are questioning local vendors and suppliers to determine how the balloons entered the region.

The latest incident occurred in Chalet village under the Daulatpur police post, where residents were alarmed after spotting an aeroplane-shaped balloon with “PIA” written on it on the roof of a villager’s house.

The villager immediately alerted the Daulatpur police post. A police team reached the site, seized the balloon and conducted a precautionary sweep of the surrounding area to rule out the presence of other suspicious objects, officials said.

On December 8, three similar balloons were also found in the Tatehra village of Gagret sub-division. These balloons had the Pakistani flag on them and "I Love Pakistan" written on them.

Also, similar balloons were found in Hamirpur and Kangra districts in the past few months.