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The contemporary Jaffar express train hijack incident has sent shockwaves across Pakistan that call attention the country’s continuing struggle with terrorism.
On 11, March 2025, the Pakistani passenger train Jaffar express travelling from Quetta to Peshawar on board 400 passengers haa been hijacked, by Balochistan liberation Army (BLA). The hijacking occured when the train exacted to break off in a tunnel near Mach, a town in Balochistan’s Kachhi district.
The attackers detonated explosives in tunnel on the track before opening fire on the train. As soon as the train stopped, the militants enter the train and separated men and women into groups and checked their identification cards.
The BLA group demanding independence and withdrawal of Pakistani and Chinese forces from Balochistan. The BLA spokesman Jeeyand Baloch warned that if Pakistani troops launched the Operation, they will kill the hostages.
The BLA issued a 48 hours ultimatum to the Pakistan government in which they demanded to release political prisoners, including Baloch movement affiliates on exchange for the safety of the hostages.
Pakistan officials said that they were yet to communicate with people on the train as the area has no internet and mobile network coverage.The BLA released some civilian hostages such as Balochistan residents, the elderly, woman and children while keeping those who were government workers or military personnel.
The Pakistan government suspended the Operation for a while. As the circumstances evolved, Pakistan security forces launched a rescue Operation, by extreme caution to avoid harming the hostages.
The Operation was very compounded, as the attackers used sucide bombers and hostages as a shield to negotiate their demands. In their first attack the security forces successfully rescued 104 passengers 58 men, 31 women, 15 children and killed 27 BLA militants.
From 11 to 12 March, the Pakistani Forces make inroads on the hijacked train multiple times. Later, the security forces engaged in a large scale Operation that resulted freeing another 155 hostages, lasting for over 30 hours.
The hostage crisis came to an end on 12 March, 2025 with total 346 hostages being rescued according to Pakistan’s Military. According to officials 21 passengers and 23 soldiers were killed in the attack and 37 others were injured.
The attack involved immense efforts by security forces, who skilfully wipeout the sucide bombers and rescued the remaining hostages. Officials confirmed that all 33 BLA militants were killed.Prime minister Shehbaz sharif sentenced the attack as “cowardly acts”, show sympathy with the families of victims after resolution of the Crisis.
The president Asif Ali zardari voiced strong opposition towards hijack of the Jaffar express.
The Pakistan ministry of foreign affairs substained the attribution that facilitators from Afghanistan helped to organized the attack and also blamed India for being behind the attack.
The incident was a bare reminder of the stunned violence and terrorism that has afflict Pakistan for far long.
The incident has been a traumatic experience for our nation, but it reflects also the audacity of our people. As we proceed from this incident, we must be aware of root of issue that led to it.
The BLA insistence for free of Baloch political prisoners focus more attention to the need of a more comprehensive and fair minded approach to addressing the outrage of marginalized communities.The prosperous completion of the Operation brought a sense of comfort and termination.
Although the incident will never be bottled out as we lost of many innocent lives.
Umaima M. Jamil Najam
Karachi.
