ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will restart the Jaffar Express train service today (Tuesday), a week after separatist militants hijacked it in Balochistan’s Bolan area.
Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi announced the resumption yesterday.
On March 11, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) fighters bombed a railway track and attacked the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express. Over 400 passengers were on board when militants stormed the train in the Bolan mountains.
Security forces launched an operation the next day and rescued 354 hostages. They killed 33 militants in the process. The attack left 23 soldiers, three railway employees, and five passengers dead.
Abbasi confirmed that authorities have fully restored the damaged track, state-run broadcast Radio Pakistan reported.
“Jaffar Express will run again starting today. Drone surveillance will monitor train operations in Balochistan,” he said.
He added that CCTV cameras are being installed at railway stations and other sensitive locations to boost security.
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Baloch separatists in Pakistan’s largest province claim the central government denies them a fair share of resources. Islamabad and the military reject these allegations.
