ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s transnational rail service, the Jaffar Express, resumed operations on Thursday, 16 days after it was targeted in a deadly attack and hijacking by separatist militants in the restive Balochistan province.
The train, which departed from the northern city of Peshawar and is bound for Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, was decorated with Pakistan’s national flag, balloons and streamers to mark the symbolic return to service. The nearly 34-hour journey connects all four provinces of Pakistan, making the Jaffar Express one of the country’s most important rail corridors.
“We successfully dispatched the train with 300 passengers on board, and more are expected to join along the way,” said Amir Muqam, Pakistan’s federal minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan. “This sends a clear message: the nation will not be intimidated.”
The March 11 attack, claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), involved the bombing of rail tracks and a gun assault on the train as it traveled from Quetta to Peshawar. The BLA, the largest of several armed ethnic groups fighting the government in Balochistan, killed 21 hostages and four security personnel before all 33 militants were killed by Pakistani forces following a prolonged standoff.
The incident marked one of the deadliest insurgent operations in Balochistan in recent years, underscoring the region’s persistent instability despite military crackdowns.
Pakistani officials said security has been reinforced along the railway corridor and additional safeguards are in place as services resume. The train’s full capacity is 480 passengers, and officials expect ridership to increase as confidence returns.
“This is a welcome development,” Muqam said. “Life will continue uninterrupted. Our systems will function, and those seeking to destabilize Pakistan will ultimately fail.”
