By Usman.pg - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
Pakistan has officially expressed strong discontent to Afghanistan regarding the utilization of its territory in the recent train hijacking in Balochistan, carried out by militants from the Balochistan Liberation Army, which resulted in the deaths of 21 civilians and four soldiers. According to a report by The Express Tribune, a senior Afghan diplomat was summoned to the Foreign Office on Monday to convey this protest. However, the Foreign Office did not issue an official statement regarding the diplomat’s summoning.
On March 11, terrorists targeted and seized the Jaffar Express at Bolan Pass, taking over 400 passengers hostage for a duration of 30 hours while the train was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar. Pakistani security forces, with support from the Air Force and elite army commandos, successfully rescued more than 350 passengers. Unfortunately, authorities confirmed that 25 passengers had been killed by the terrorists before the rescue operation began, and all 33 assailants were eliminated during the operation.
In the aftermath of the attack, Pakistan reported having found evidence suggesting that the attackers maintained ongoing communication with their handlers in Afghanistan. The Foreign Office subsequently called upon the Taliban government to assist in holding the perpetrators accountable. Sources indicate that this message was reiterated to the Afghan diplomat during the meeting on Monday.
In response, the Afghan Taliban dismissed Pakistan’s accusations, claiming that Baloch terrorist groups were not operating from Afghan soil and had no connections to Kabul. Nevertheless, a recent monitoring report from the United Nations Security Council highlighted a significant link between the Afghanistan-based banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the BLA, the latter of which has claimed responsibility for the train hijacking. Additionally, sources disclosed that the Foreign Office expressed concerns regarding the involvement of Afghan nationals in a recent attack on Bannu Cantonment, as reported by the newspaper.
