India Rejects Pakistan’s Claim After Balochistan Train Hijacking
- Pakistan train hijacking: On Friday, India vehemently denied Pakistan's foreign office claim implicating it in the Jaffar Express train hijacking in Balochistan.
- Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, stated:
- "We strongly reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan.
India Rejects Pakistan‘s Claim After Balochistan Train Hijacking: “World Knows Where Epicenter of Terrorism Lies”
Table of Contents
- India Rejects Pakistan’s Claim After Balochistan Train Hijacking: “World Knows Where Epicenter of Terrorism Lies”
- India Rejects Pakistan’s Claim After Balochistan Train Hijacking: A Q&A Breakdown
- What happened in the Balochistan train hijacking?
- What is Pakistan accusing India of?
- What is India’s response to Pakistan’s accusations?
- What role does Afghanistan play in this situation?
- What is the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)?
- What are the conflicting accounts of the aftermath of the hijacking?
- What evidence is there to verify either claim?
- Key Players and Their Statements
Pakistan train hijacking: On Friday, India vehemently denied Pakistan’s foreign office claim implicating it in the Jaffar Express train hijacking in Balochistan. This incident has further strained relations between the two nations, highlighting ongoing tensions and accusations.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, stated:
“We strongly reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan. The whole world knows where the epicenter of global terrorism lies.Pakistan should look inwards instead of pointing fingers and shifting the blame for its own internal problems and failures on to others.”
This strong rebuttal underscores the escalating war of words following the Balochistan train hijacking.
Pakistan points Finger at Afghanistan
Shafqat Ali Khan, Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson, alleged on Thursday that the rebels involved in the Jaffar Express attack were in contact with ring leaders based in Afghanistan. The Pakistan foreign office insists on the involvement of external elements in the Jaffar Express attack.
“Terrorists were in direct communications with Afghanistan-based planners throughout the incident,”
Khan added that Pakistan has repeatedly requested Afghanistan to prevent terrorist groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) from using its territory to launch attacks against Pakistan. The situation highlights the complex regional dynamics and accusations of cross-border terrorism.
“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,”
India’s Alleged Role: A Recurrence?
When questioned about a potential policy shift, given that India had previously been accused of supporting the BLA, the spokesperson clarified that there was no change.
“There is no shift in our policy. And again, the facts have not changed. India is involved in sponsoring terrorism against Pakistan. What I was referring to was, in this particular incident, we have evidence of calls being traced to Afghanistan. This is what I said,”
He further accused India of attempting to destabilize neighboring countries and conducting a global assassination campaign. These accusations contribute to a tense geopolitical environment.
“In our region, unfortunately, we have many forces against peace who do not want to see Pakistan reap the dividends of its unprecedented and sincere efforts in counter-terrorism and in building a peaceful region. The latest terrorist attack against Jaffar Express near Sibi Balochistan was also orchestrated and directed by terrorist ring leaders operating from abroad,”
He also commented on the portrayal of the BLA in Indian media, suggesting it reflected Indian policy.
Conflicting claims and the Aftermath of the Train Hijacking
The MEA statement followed claims by Pakistani security forces that they had eliminated all 33 Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) rebels who hijacked the Jaffar Express, which was carrying over 400 passengers.However, the Pakistani Army has not released any visual evidence to support this claim.
The rebel BLA, conversely, alleges that the ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations) is covering up a defeat. Jeeyand Baloch, a spokesperson for the BLA, maintains that the battle is ongoing and accuses the state of ”abandoning its own soldiers” and leaving them “to die as hostages.”
Passengers released from the jaffar Express reported to Pakistani media that BLA fighters voluntarily freed women, children, and elderly individuals shortly after seizing the train.This detail adds a layer of complexity to the narrative.
The BLA has challenged Pakistani authorities to allow self-reliant journalists and observers into the conflict zone, arguing that the army’s reluctance to do so demonstrates its “defeat”.
India Rejects Pakistan’s Claim After Balochistan Train Hijacking: A Q&A Breakdown
this article explores the heated exchange between India and Pakistan following the Balochistan train hijacking incident, dissecting the allegations, counter-claims, and regional tensions.
What happened in the Balochistan train hijacking?
The Jaffar Express train was hijacked in the remote mountainous region of Balochistan province, Pakistan, on or around March 13, 2025 (based on the article’s publication date). The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed obligation. This incident led to a war of words between Pakistan and India,exacerbating existing tensions.
What is Pakistan accusing India of?
Pakistan, through its foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, accuses India of supporting terrorism against Pakistan, alleging that the BLA, responsible for the jaffar Express attack, is backed by India. The spokesperson further alleged that rebels involved in the attack were in contact with ring leaders based in Afghanistan. Pakistan claims india is attempting to destabilize neighboring countries and conducting a global assassination campaign.
What is India’s response to Pakistan’s accusations?
India vehemently rejects Pakistan’s allegations, labeling them baseless. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, stated that Pakistan should look inwards to address its own internal problems and failures instead of blaming others. The statement implied Pakistan is the epicenter of global terrorism.
What role does Afghanistan play in this situation?
Pakistan alleges that the terrorists involved in the Jaffar Express attack were in direct dialogue with planners based in Afghanistan. Pakistan has repeatedly requested Afghanistan to prevent terrorist groups like the BLA from using its territory to launch attacks.
What is the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)?
The BLA is a separatist group operating in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. They claim to be fighting for greater rights and autonomy for the Baloch peopel.Pakistan considers the BLA a terrorist organization.
What are the conflicting accounts of the aftermath of the hijacking?
Pakistan’s Claim: Pakistani security forces claim to have eliminated all 33 BLA rebels involved in the hijacking but have not released visual evidence to support this.
BLA’s Claim: The BLA alleges that the ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations) is covering up a defeat and that the battle is ongoing. They accuse the state of abandoning its soldiers and leaving them to die as hostages.
* Passengers’ Accounts: passengers released from the Jaffar Express reported that BLA fighters voluntarily freed women, children, and elderly individuals shortly after seizing the train.
What evidence is there to verify either claim?
As of the reporting in this article, the Pakistani Army has not provided visual proof to back up the claim that the 33 BLA rebels were eliminated. The BLA claims that Pakistan authorities have refused for journalist and observers to enter the conflict zone, as they beleive that it will demonstrate their defeat.
Key Players and Their Statements
| Entity | Statement |
| :—————————- | :——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————– |
| Randhir Jaiswal (India) | “We strongly reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan. the whole world knows where the epicenter of global terrorism lies. Pakistan should look inwards instead of pointing fingers and shifting the blame for its own internal problems and failures onto others.” |
| Shafqat Ali Khan (Pakistan) | “Terrorists were in direct communications with Afghanistan-based planners throughout the incident…We urge Afghanistan to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers, of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable…” |
| Jeeyand Baloch (BLA) | Maintains that the battle is ongoing and accuses the state of “abandoning its own soldiers” and leaving them “to die as hostages.” |