Pakistan accuses India of backing train hijacking, links attack to Afghan handlers

Pakistan has linked the hijacking of the Jaffar Express train earlier this week to “terrorists” with connections to “handlers in Afghanistan,” while claiming that India is behind the attack.

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry made the assertion during a press conference in Islamabad, stating that the attack in Balochistan, along with previous incidents, is backed by Pakistan’s eastern neighbour, India, Caliber.Az reports referring to foreign media.

Chaudhry also criticized Indian media outlets for spreading misleading information, accusing them of relying on images provided by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the separatist group responsible for the hijacking. He alleged that some of the images were either fabricated using artificial intelligence or outdated visuals.

The press conference, which also included Balochistan’s Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, offered details about a military operation named Operation Green Bolan. The operation resulted in the release of 354 train passengers after a tense 36-hour standoff that began on March 11. During the ordeal, 26 people, including both passengers and security personnel, lost their lives, while 33 BLA militants were killed. Among the deceased, 18 were army or paramilitary personnel, three were railway employees, and five were civilian passengers.

Following the briefing, neither India nor Afghanistan provided an immediate response. However, on March 14, both countries strongly denied Pakistan’s accusations.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously stated that the attackers were in contact with their handlers in Afghanistan. Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters that intercepted communications confirmed the links between the attackers and Afghanistan, with the terrorists allegedly taking refuge in the country. Khan also reiterated that Pakistan had repeatedly urged the Afghan government to stop groups like the BLA from operating within its borders.

India categorically rejected the allegations, with Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal saying, “We reject the baseless accusations made by Pakistan. The whole world knows where the epicenter of global terrorism is. Pakistan should look within itself instead of blaming others for its internal problems and failures.”

Afghanistan also denied any involvement, with a spokesperson for the Taliban-led government in Kabul saying, “Pakistan should focus on its security and resolving its internal issues instead of making irresponsible statements.” Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, further denied any BLA presence in Afghanistan.

This comes as a United Nations report from last month suggested that the Afghan Taliban, which took power in August 2021, has been providing support to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has conducted several attacks in Pakistan. The report also noted that the BLA has ties to both the TTP and the ISIL affiliate in Khorasan Province (ISKP), indicating a complex web of alliances between various armed groups.

By Tamilla Hasanova