Train services connecting Quetta and various parts of Balochistan remained suspended for a third consecutive day on Friday due to unavoidable circumstances, railway officials confirmed. The Jaffar Express, scheduled to depart from Quetta to Peshawar, was canceled, while its return journey from Peshawar to Quetta was rerouted back from Jacobabad.
Operations across Balochistan have been disrupted for the past two days, with the Bolan Mail and Chaman Passenger services to Karachi already suspended. Additionally, several trains departing from Karachi experienced significant delays. The Tezgam train left Cantt Station at 1:30 a.m., nearly 12 hours behind its planned 5:30 p.m. departure, leading to passenger protests. The Sukkur Express, which was supposed to depart at 11:30 p.m., had not left by Friday morning.
These disruptions follow a tragic blast near the railway track close to Chaman Phatak in Quetta on May 24, which claimed the lives of at least 14 individuals, including three Frontier Corps personnel. Numerous others, including women and children, were injured and transported to hospitals for treatment.
In response to the attack, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir reaffirmed the nation’s resilience against terrorism. During his Eid ul Adha visit to frontline troops in Zhob District, Balochistan, he condemned the attack, attributing it to Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Hindustan and its proxies. He emphasized that such brutal acts would not diminish the determination of the Pakistan Armed Forces or the people.
Field Marshal Munir highlighted the unwavering morale of the troops and the public, pledging that the Armed Forces, in close cooperation with law enforcement and the people of Balochistan, would relentlessly pursue all those involved in facilitating and executing terrorism with full force.
