Page 31 - Pakistan

'Focus inward, not blame': India rejects Pak claim on Jaffar Express attack

Rejecting Pakistan's allegations, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the world knows where the epicentre of terrorism lies, and Pakistan must stop shifting blame and take responsibility

Pak security forces foil attack on checkpost, kill 10 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Pakistani security forces on Thursday foiled a terror attack on a checkpost and killed 10 militants following a suicide attack near the Frontier Corps camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security sources said. Heavy firing was heard following a loud explosion in Jandola in South Waziristan district, Geo News reported, citing police officials. According to security sources, terrorists tried to attack the Jandola checkpost, which was repulsed by the security forces. A suicide bomber blew himself up in a vehicle near the FC camp, they said. The attack came a day after security forces killed all 33 attackers who had hijacked the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan and held passengers hostage in the mountainous region. The country witnessed a sharp increase in terror attacks in January 2025, surging by 42 per cent compared to the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think-tank. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained the ...

Baloch attack: Pak points finger at Afghanistan, says 'We have evidence'

Pakistan accused India of sponsoring terrorism on Thursday without directly implicating it in the Balochistan train attack that killed 21 passengers. Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan at the weekly press briefing was asked several questions about the deadly attack on Tuesday, which led to a hostage situation lasting for more than 24 hours. Terrorists were in direct communications with Afghanistan-based planners throughout the incident, he said, adding that Pakistan has repeatedly asked Afghanistan to deny the use of its soil for terrorist groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) for their attacks against Pakistan. We urge Afghanistan to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers, of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and cooperate with the government of Pakistan to bring all those who are concerned with this attack, including the real sponsors of terrorism to justice, he said. When asked about any change of policy because India was blamed in the past

Pakistan forces end Jaffar Express standoff; 21 hostages, 4 troops killed

Pakistani security forces end deadly siege on Jaffar Express, rescuing hundreds held hostage by Baloch militants; 21 passengers and four troops killed during the operation

21 passengers, 4 soldiers, 33 militants killed as Pak army ends hijack op

Twenty-one passengers and four paramilitary soldiers were killed by militants holding hostages after seizing control of a train in Balochistan, an army general said on Wednesday. Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif told Dunya News TV that security forces killed all 33 militants present at the scene. "The armed forces successfully concluded the operation in the (Wednesday) evening by killing all terrorists and rescuing all passengers safely, Lt Gen Sharif said. He said that 21 passengers were killed by the terrorists when they attacked the train on Tuesday. He added that four paramilitary Frontier Corps soldiers were also killed in the incident. "The forces killed all 33 terrorists and secured the release of hostages, he said. The Jaffar Express, carrying some 400 passengers in nine coaches, was going from Quetta to Peshawar when militants derailed it using explosives and hijacked it near the mountainous terrain of Gudalar and Piru Kunri in a tunnel 160 kilometres from Quetta. The

Decoded: Baloch separatists and why they seek freedom from Pakistan

The Balochistan Liberation Army contends that Balochistan was forcibly annexed by Pakistan in 1948 against the will of its people, a claim central to its ongoing fight for independence

Pakistan train hijack: How Baloch rebels took over Jaffar Express | Baloch liberation army

A packed train, a deadly explosion, and a hostage crisis—Pakistan was rocked by the hijacking of the Jaffar Express by Baloch rebels.

Why ex-Balochistan CM Akhtar Mengal thinks Pakistan has lost the province

Former Balochistan CM Akhtar Mengal has declared that Pakistan has lost control over Balochistan, blaming state oppression and rising insurgency for the crisis

Watch: Moment Baloch separatists hijacked Jaffar Express in Pakistan

Pakistan train hijack: Pakistani security forces have successfully rescued over 150 passengers so far

Pakistan train hijack: 27 separatists killed, 155 passengers rescued

The Jaffar Express, carrying 400 passengers, was enroute from Quetta to Peshawar when Balochistan Liberation Army militants intercepted it in a tunnel near the terrains of Gudalar and Piru Kunri

UN chief condemns Pakistan train hijacking, calls for release of hostages

UN Secretary-General Antonio has strongly condemned the hijacking of a train in Pakistan's Balochistan province and voiced concern about persons taken hostage, calling for their immediate release. The UN Chief stressed that attacks against civilians are unacceptable. The Secretary-General strongly condemns the hijacking of a train in Pakistan's Balochistan province, a statement issued by his spokesman Stphane Dujarric said. Guterres is deeply concerned about the persons taken hostage and calls for their immediate release, the statement added. Suspected Baloch gunmen opened fire at a passenger train in Pakistan's restive Balochistan on Tuesday. Jaffar Express, with around 500 passengers on board in nine coaches, was on its way from Quetta to Peshawar in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa when it was fired upon between Gudalaar and Piru Koneri, according to officials. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed it seized control of the train by derailing it. The group said it had killed six secu

16 terrorists killed, 104 passengers rescued in Pakistan train attack

At least 13 terrorists were killed and 80 passengers rescued by security forces after suspected Baloch militants hijacked a train in a tunnel in Pakistan's restive Balochistan's province on Tuesday, security officials said. The Jaffar Express, carrying approximately 500 passengers in nine bogies, was travelling from Quetta to Peshawar when armed men intercepted it in a tunnel near the mountainous terrain of Gudalar and Piru Kunri on Tuesday morning. Security officials said so far they have killed 13 terrorists and rescued 80 passengers. The rescue operation is underway, they said. Earlier, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said, The security forces have managed to rescue 80 passengers -- 43 men, 26 women and 11 children -- from a bogie." However, around 400 passengers remained on the train, still trapped inside the tunnel as security forces engaged in a gun battle with the militants, he said. Rind said rescue teams have been dispatched amid reports of intense firing

Pakistan train hijack: BLA kills 6, takes 100+ security personnel hostage

The group claimed that all civilian passengers (out of the total 450) - including women, children, the elderly, and Baloch citizens - were released unharmed and provided with a safe passage

PM Modi, Ranya Rao, Airtel-Starlink, US recession fears, Pakistan train hijak & more

PM Modi arrived in Mauritius today for a two-day state visit. He will be the Chief Guest at Mauritius’ National Day celebrations on March 12.

Passenger train in Pakistan 'hijacked' by Baloch separatists, many injured

While the local government acknowledged the attack on the Jaffar Express, a Baloch separatist group claimed that it had hijacked the train and taken 120 passengers hostage

Pakistan shows commitment to selling PIA by July as part of IMF agreement

Pakistan has assured the IMF of selling the Pakistan International Airlines by July after a botched attempt to sell the national flag carrier last year, according to a media report on Tuesday. The PIA has been running into losses and as part of reforms urged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the government was putting on the block its stake, ranging from 51 to 100 per cent. However, no serious buyer made the bid when the effort was made in October last year. The only offer of Pakistani Rs 10 billion by a local real estate developing company was rejected by the government. An IMF team is in Pakistan to review the $7 billion loan program approved last year. Pakistan would get the second tranche of about $1 billion if it convinced the IMF team. One of the concerns of the lender was the loss-making entities and a commitment by the Pakistan government to sell such organisations, but no headway has been made, apparently due to the dire economic situation, which has kept away the

Pakistan's top diplomat denied entry into US, deported over visa issues

KK Ahsan Wagan, Pakistan's envoy to Turkmenistan, was traveling to Los Angeles for a vacation when US immigration authorities stopped him at the airport

Pakistani scholar Mufti Shah Mir shot dead by gunmen in Balochistan

Mufti Shah Mir, a prominent Pakistani scholar, was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Balochistan province, according to a media report. Mir was targeted in the Turbat town of Kech on Friday when he was leaving a mosque after night prayers, the Dawn newspaper said. Armed men riding motorcycles opened fire on Mufti Shah Mir, leaving him seriously injured, the paper quoted police as saying. He was immediately shifted to Turbat hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The deceased received multiple bullet injuries that caused his death. Mufti Shah Mir was close to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F). He previously survived two attempts on his life. The attack came days after two leaders of JUI-F were shot dead in Khuzdar.

US issues travel advisory for areas near India-Pak border, Balochistan

The US has issued an advisory cautioning against travel to the immediate vicinity of the India-Pakistan border and the Line of Control due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict and to the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The US State Department issued the travel advisory on Friday. The advisory states that people should reconsider travel to Pakistan due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict". The travel advisory asks Americans to not travel to Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which include the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), due to terrorism. It also cautions against travel to the immediate vicinity of the India-Pakistan border and the Line of Control due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict. Violent extremist groups continue to plot attacks in Pakistan. Terrorist attacks are frequent in Balochistan province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which include the former FATA. Large-scale terrorist attacks have .

China extends repayment period of $2 billion loan to Pakistan by one year

China extended the repayment period of Pakistan's USD 2 billion loan by one year, easing pressure of the International Monetary Fund on the dollar-deficit country. The loan was originally due for repayment on March 24, but China has agreed to extend the deadline, providing Pakistan with crucial financial relief. Geo News quoted the Ministry of Finance as confirming the roll over by China, adding that this extension comes as Pakistan faces economic challenges, including pressure on foreign exchange reserves. Around 92 per cent of Pakistan's external debt is owed by three major sources, including multilateral and bilateral creditors as well as through international bonds. Among the bilateral creditors, China is on the top keeping in view the total external debt and liabilities. Meanwhile, the cash-strapped country is seeking a fresh loan tranche from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with the Washington-based lender's team currently in Pakistan for negotiations. Islamabad secur