The Punjab government has refused to pay a bill of Rs 6.35 crore for the deployment of paramilitary forces during and after the terror attack at the Pathankot air force base. PTI reported that the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party government has told the Union Ministry of Home Affairs that the deployment of units was in "national interest", so the "expenditure thereon should not be billed to the state government".

The state government has been asked to foot the bill for the deployment of 20 companies for 25 days in January, including their transport charges. A home ministry official said that whenever central paramilitary forces are provided to any state, their expenses are borne by the central government, but it is adjusted against the state's budget later on.

The Opposition Congress took up the issue to hit out at the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre, calling the move to bill Punjab a "travesty". On Twitter, party spokesperson Manish Tewari said,"Travesty to bill Punjab for #anti-terror operations ALL Militancy related dues of Punjab need waiver Punjab's fault Pakistan is its neighbor." The state had a debt of Rs 1.17 lakh crore as of September 2015.