Separatist Baloch rebels held an entire train hostage in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province and gave 48-hour ultimatum threatening to execute all hostages if Baloch prisoners are not released. According to Radio Pakistan, 27 rebels have been killed and 155 passengers have been rescued till now. Balochistan Liberation Army, which claimed responsibility for this hijack, claimed they have killed 30 Pakistani soldiers and taken 214 passengers, including many soldiers, hostages. The entire hijack was planned meticulously by BLA, and Pakistani spy agency ISI and army had no whiff of this plot. The rebels first blew up the rail track, forcing the driver to stop the Jaffar Express. The train driver was injured in firing. The hijack took place in remote hilly terrain, while the train was on its way to Peshawar from Quetta. There are 17 tunnels on the route, and the rebels struck at tunnel number 8. This is not the first rebel attack. In November last year, BLA rebels attacked a passenger bus killing 26 people. The Quetta-Peshawar railway line has been attacked several times in the past. Pakistan Railway had stopped train services on this route, but in October last year, the service was resumed. A train hijack of this sort is really a matter of shame for any army, particularly when 182 soldiers were taken hostages. Naturally, top Pakistani army officials were unaware of the plot and they woke up only when an entire train was taken hostage. An attack by rebels of this sort is clearly the consequence of atrocities committed by the army over the past two decades in Balochistan. The Baloch people are demanding a separate sovereign country. They allege that Pakistan government is looting their region’s abundant natural resources. Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan, and both these countries have been helping Baloch rebels. For Pakistan, dousing the fire of separatism in Balochistan has become a tough job. The only consolation for us is that Pakistan government and its army has, till now, not blamed India for this train hijack. Pakistan is presently facing a crisis of existence. People in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa provinces have revolted against the Islamabad government. There have been anti-army protests in Pak Occupied Kashmir too.OPINION | Will Balochistan break away from Pakistan?
Separatist Baloch rebels held an entire train hostage in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province and gave 48-hour ultimatum threatening to execute all hostages if Baloch prisoners are not released. According to Radio Pakistan, 27 rebels have been killed and 155 passengers have been rescued till now. Balochistan Liberation Army, which claimed responsibility for this hijack, claimed they have killed 30 Pakistani soldiers and taken 214 passengers, including many soldiers, hostages. The entire hijack was planned meticulously by BLA, and Pakistani spy agency ISI and army had no whiff of this plot. The rebels first blew up the rail track, forcing the driver to stop the Jaffar Express. The train driver was injured in firing. The hijack took place in remote hilly terrain, while the train was on its way to Peshawar from Quetta. There are 17 tunnels on the route, and the rebels struck at tunnel number 8. This is not the first rebel attack. In November last year, BLA rebels attacked a passenger bus killing 26 people. The Quetta-Peshawar railway line has been attacked several times in the past. Pakistan Railway had stopped train services on this route, but in October last year, the service was resumed. A train hijack of this sort is really a matter of shame for any army, particularly when 182 soldiers were taken hostages. Naturally, top Pakistani army officials were unaware of the plot and they woke up only when an entire train was taken hostage. An attack by rebels of this sort is clearly the consequence of atrocities committed by the army over the past two decades in Balochistan. The Baloch people are demanding a separate sovereign country. They allege that Pakistan government is looting their region’s abundant natural resources. Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan, and both these countries have been helping Baloch rebels. For Pakistan, dousing the fire of separatism in Balochistan has become a tough job. The only consolation for us is that Pakistan government and its army has, till now, not blamed India for this train hijack. Pakistan is presently facing a crisis of existence. People in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa provinces have revolted against the Islamabad government. There have been anti-army protests in Pak Occupied Kashmir too.
