Pakistan Railways has announced the resumption of train services to and from Balochistan today, following a three-day suspension. Operations will proceed the existing schedule, reinstating connectivity across the region.
The Jaffar Express is set to depart from Quetta to Peshawar at its usual time on Saturday, with the return journey from Peshawar to Quetta also scheduled for Saturday morning. This marks the restoration of rail services after the temporary disruption.
Previously, train operations involving Quetta and other parts of Balochistan were halted for an additional day on Friday due to unavoidable circumstances. On that day, the Jaffar Express did not depart from Quetta, and the return service from Peshawar was turned back at Jacobabad. Similarly, the Bolan Mail and Chaman passenger trains remained suspended.
Meanwhile, several trains departing from Karachi experienced delays. Notably, the Tezgam train left Cantt Station at 1:30 a.m. instead of its scheduled 5:30 p.m. departure the previous day, prompting passenger protests. The Sukkur Express, which was scheduled to depart at 11:30 p.m., had also not left by Friday morning, as confirmed by railway police.
In a significant development, at least 14 individuals, including three Frontier Corps personnel, lost their lives and several others were injured in a blast near the railway track close to Chaman Phatak in Quetta on May 24. The explosion also caused injuries to several women and children, who were subsequently hospitalized for treatment.
Following the attack, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir condemned the terrorist act, emphasizing that such attacks would not weaken the resolve of the Pakistani nation. He pledged to eliminate terrorism with full force.
A statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations noted that CDF Munir visited Zhob District in Balochistan to celebrate Eid ul Adha with frontline troops stationed along the western borders on Wednesday. Referring to the recent terrorist incident in Quetta, which was attributed to Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Hindustan and its proxies, the field marshal reaffirmed that these brutal acts would not diminish the determination of the Pakistan Armed Forces or the nation.
CDF Munir highlighted that the morale of both the troops and the people of Pakistan remains steadfast. He reiterated the commitment of the Armed Forces, in close coordination with law enforcement agencies and the people of Balochistan, to relentlessly pursue all facilitators, abettors, and perpetrators of terrorism.
