KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — Pakistan’s Foreign Office has alleged that the terrorists responsible for the Jaffar Express hijacking in southwestern Balochistan maintained direct communication with their handlers in Afghanistan.
Speaking at a press briefing today, FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan claimed that intercepted calls provided concrete evidence linking the assailants to their ring leaders in Afghanistan.
“The terrorists had safe havens in Afghanistan, and we have repeatedly urged the Afghan interim government [Taliban] to prevent groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) from using its soil for terrorist activities,” he stated.
The allegations follow a high-stakes rescue operation in Balochistan, where Pakistani security forces neutralized 33 BLA militants who had hijacked the train carrying over 400 passengers on Tuesday.
The military confirmed that all hostages were rescued, but 21 passengers and four paramilitary personnel were killed before the operation began.
The Taliban swiftly rejected Islamabad’s allegations as “baseless.”
Pakistan has long accused the Taliban of harboring militants on Afghan soil since the regime’s return to power in 2021.
However, Kabul has consistently denied such claims, insisting that the country is not used as a launchpad for cross-border attacks.
Pakistan’s military has vowed to pursue those responsible beyond its borders. Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said that the Jaffar Express attack “changed the rules of the game.”
The accusations are likely to further strain already fragile relations between Pakistan and the Taliban.
