ISLAMABAD: Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi has announced the resumption of Jaffar Express train service today, Tuesday, Pakistani state media reported, a week after separatist militants hijacked the passenger train in the southwestern Balochistan province.
Fighters of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) separatist group bombed a section of the railway track and stormed the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express train carrying over 400 passengers, in Mushkaaf, a rugged area in the mountainous Bolan range of Balochistan on March 11.
The crisis was resolved the following day when the armed forces carried out a successful operation to rescue the hostages, killing 33 militants in the process. A final count showed 23 soldiers, three railway employees and five passengers had died in the attack.
Abbasi said the track, which had been damaged in the recent attack by separatist militants in Balochistan, has now been fully restored, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Jaffar Express will resume its operations from today. Drone surveillance will be launched for train operations in Balochistan,” Abbasi was quoted as saying.
“CCTV cameras are also being installed at railway stations and other sensitive locations across the country to improve security.”
In oil-and-mineral-rich Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest and least populated province, ethnic Baloch separatists have long accused the central government of denying locals of a share in the province’s resources. Islamabad and Pakistan’s military strongly reject the allegations.
The military has a huge presence in Balochistan and has long run intelligence-based operations against insurgent groups such as the BLA, who have escalated attacks in recent months on the military and nationals from longtime ally China, which is building key projects in the region, including a port at Gwadar.
More than 50 people, including security forces, were killed in August last year in a string of assaults in Balochistan claimed by the BLA.
Pakistan to resume Jaffar Express train service today after deadly hijacking
https://arab.news/z8kbe
Pakistan to resume Jaffar Express train service today after deadly hijacking
- Separatist militants last week hijacked Jaffer Express and killed 31 people, including security personnel
- Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi says drone surveillance will be conducted for train operations in Balochistan
Pakistan accepts Trump’s invitation to join ‘Board of Peace,’ hopes for permanent ceasefire in Gaza
- Pakistan’s foreign office hopes board’s efforts lead to permanent ceasefire in Gaza, independent Palestinian state
- UAE, Egypt, Israel, Bahrain and others have also accepted Trump’s invitation to join body that aims to resolve conflicts
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office announced on Wednesday that Islamabad has accepted US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his Board of Peace (BoP), hoping it would lead to the implementation of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The White House last week announced the names of some members of the BoP, a global body that aims to restore peace in areas affected by conflict including Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire has been in place since October 2025. Chaired by Trump, the board would include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Pakistan joins the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco and Vietnam in joining the BoP. Israel announced on Wednesday its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will also be a member of the board.
“In response to the invitation extended to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif by the President of the United States, H.E. Donald J. Trump, Pakistan would like to announce its decision to join the Board of Peace (BoP) as part of its ongoing efforts to support the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan under the framework of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.
The foreign office said Pakistan hoped concrete steps will be taken toward the implementation of a permanent ceasefire, further scaling up of humanitarian aid for the Palestinians as well as reconstruction of Gaza with the creation of the board.
The statement said Islamabad also hopes these efforts will lead to the realization of the right to self-determination of Palestinians through a “credible, time-bound political process, consistent with international legitimacy and relevant UN resolutions, resulting in the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.”
“Pakistan looks forward to continue playing a constructive role as part of the Board of Peace for the achievement of these goals as well as to end the suffering of our Palestinian brothers and sisters,” the statement concluded.
Pakistan has consistently supported the demand for Palestinian statehood under UN resolutions and has publicly criticized Israeli military operations in Gaza, while also opposing broader regional escalations, including attacks on Iran.
According to the BoP’s charter seen by international wire agency AFP, the board is “an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
As chairman of the BoP, Trump has the power to pick members of an executive board to be “leaders of global stature” to “serve two-year terms, subject to removal by the chairman,” the board’s charter as seen by AFP reads.
