Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said Pakistan cannot progress without eliminating terrorism from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He condemned the attack and warned against anti-army propaganda.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that Pakistan cannot move forward until terrorism is eradicated from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, asserting that national progress is impossible without peace and stability. Chairing a high-level meeting on the law and order situation in Quetta, the Prime Minister condemned the recent hijacking of the Jaffar Express and praised security forces for successfully rescuing 339 passengers taken hostage by militants in the Bolan area. He commended Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and the armed forces for leading the operation and said such acts of terrorism must be tackled through collective resolve.
No tolerance for anti-army propaganda
“The terrorists who attacked the train did not even respect the sanctity of the holy month of Ramadan,” PM Shehbaz said. He added that the country cannot afford another such tragedy and emphasised unity against militancy. The Prime Minister also warned against maligning security personnel, saying, “Malicious propaganda against our soldiers and martyrs will not be tolerated.” He highlighted the sacrifices made by the armed forces to ensure national security.
All 33 militants killed in multi-agency operation
The Prime Minister’s visit came two days after the deadly train hijacking incident. Over 400 passengers were aboard the Jaffar Express when militants from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) blew up a section of railway track in Bolan, forcing the train to halt in a tunnel. The attackers then stormed the train, killing several passengers and holding others hostage. Security forces launched a large-scale counter-terror operation involving units from the Pakistan Army, Special Services Group (SSG), Frontier Corps (FC), and Pakistan Air Force (PAF). All 33 militants were killed in the operation.
Militants had links in Afghanistan, says army
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry revealed that the terrorists remained in communication with handlers in Afghanistan through satellite phones during the standoff. He said the militants used suicide bombers and human shields, but army snipers successfully neutralised them. “Whoever did this will be hunted down and brought to justice,” he said.
21 passengers, 4 soldiers dead in attack
Despite the successful rescue, 21 passengers were killed by the militants before the operation began. Four security personnel also lost their lives during the clearance mission in Mushkaf, Bolan district. An emergency was declared in Sibi and Quetta’s Civil Hospital following the attack. At least 29 injured passengers were moved to medical facilities in the provincial capital — 16 to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and 13 to Civil Hospital. According to hospital authorities, the injured are in stable condition and out of danger. Another 47 passengers have also been shifted to Quetta from Mach.
