There is also an atmosphere of disturbance in Pakistan in the Pak month of Ramadan. On 11 March, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked the Jafar Express train. The incident again defeated the old wound of Balochistan. 21 passengers and 4 soldiers were killed in this attack. Security forces killed 33 BLA rebels. This was not just a terrorist attack. This was a proof of the failure of the government that failed to protect its people. The Jafar Express from Quetta to Peshawar had more than 400 passengers. In Bollan district, BLA militants blown the tracks armed with rockets and suicide jackets. he/she attacked the train and took hundreds of people hostage. They demanded that Baloch political prisoners be released. This demand was the result of the alleged government kidnapping and repression that had been going on for decades. A passenger train remained a battleground for two days. On March 12, the army attacked the train. he/she saved 346 people and killed all the terrorists. The army described it as its victory, but it was not just a small clash. It was a listener as a big attack and a big attack. This was the first train hijack in the history of Pakistan. This reflects the increasing strength and ambition of BLA. The army described this operation as its great success, but the death of 25 people tells a different story. This story has tried to the government’s failure and hiding it. Let’s see what was said on this incident-
, On 13 March, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack in Quetta. he/she called it ‘cowardly’ and promised to crush terrorism. he/she praised the soldiers who ‘saved’ the country. This was a random-piercing statement that is heard in every crisis of Pakistan.
Sharif took photographs with the remaining people and commandos. This reflects their helplessness. he/she is running a coalition government that has the support of the army, not the public. he/she did not say anything on the problems of Balochistan. he/she talked about sending only more soldiers. This reflects their failure.
, Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi called the terrorists a ‘animal’. They closed all the avenues of the conversation.
, The Ministry of External Affairs raised a finger on Kabul without any evidence. he/she chased the old raga of ‘foreign hand’. This is the old strategy of Pakistan: blaming, defaming, and sending army.
, Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti reiterated the words of Islamabad. he/she said, “We will fight until the last terrorists survive.” This is the same person whose government ignored the warning of BLA attack on 7 March. In the last decade, five chief ministers came and visited before Bugti. This indicates that Balochistan is just a political pawn. It is a tragedy for the state whose natural gas and gold run Pakistan’s economy, but its people are living in poverty.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a major project for Islamabad. It has made Gwadar a bright city. But Baloch people have not benefited from this. They only get to see checkpoints, kidnappings and air strikes. The BLA is not fighting for independence just. he/she is fighting for those who have been shocked by the government.
The opposition is seeing the weakness of the government. After the arrest of Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has attacked the army on social media. PTI says that the army is more busy in imprisoning the dissidents, not in the safety of trains. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), who was in Sharif’s coalition government, expressed condolences through Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, but did not criticize. his/her silence says a lot. This alliance is so weak that it cannot withstand its internal problems, it is a distant thing of terrorism. Meanwhile, the army is trying to escape itself by furthering its puppet leaders.
Islamabad is accusing Kabul of sheltering BLA. But he/she is ignoring his/her role in destabilizing his/her neighboring country. China is investing billions of dollars in CPEC. Along with condemning the attack, he/she also offered ‘anti-terrorism cooperation’. This reflects his/her growing concern. The BLA has already attacked Chinese workers earlier, but China can no longer ignore the train hijack.
India was accused of doing ‘Propaganda’. It was said that the BLA is getting money from ‘cross -border’. India advised Pakistan to ‘peep inside’. This old dispute distracts attention from the real issue. The real issue is terrorism created by the wrong policies that have been going on for decades, not foreign money.
According to Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, 2024 has been the most dangerous year for Balochistan. The attacks have increased by 119%. The weapons may be left out after America left Afghanistan. But the real reason is not to listen to the people of the government. Military operations kill terrorists, but also create new terrorists. People become a suicide bomber in resentment. The Pakistan Human Rights Commission and the United Nations have appealed for talks, but Islamabad remains deaf.
This is a warning that Pakistan is ignoring. Sharif can be photographed with commandos, promise to shed blooding, army press can release releases, but cracks are increasing. Balochistan is not a problem that can be resolved with bomb-bars. Till Islamabad does not bring reforms, trains will continue to be uninterrupted, the corpses will continue to be felt and Pakistan will continue to make a false claim of winning the war which he/she has already lost.
The author lives in Islamabad.
