India has dismissed Pakistan’s claims that it played a role in the deadly attack on the Jaffar Express, calling the allegations “baseless” and accusing Islamabad of deflecting blame for its own security failures.
“We strongly reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan,” Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday. “The whole world knows where the epicenter of global terrorism lies. Pakistan should look inwards instead of pointing fingers and shifting the blame for its own internal problems and failures.”
Jaiswal’s remarks came in response to claims made by Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson, Shafqat Ali Khan, who alleged that the militants involved in the attack had been in contact with their handlers in Afghanistan.
“India has been involved in terrorism in Pakistan. In the particular attack on Jaffar Express, the terrorists had been in contact with their handlers and ringleaders in Afghanistan,” Khan said during his weekly press briefing on Thursday.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained high in recent months, with Islamabad repeatedly accusing the Afghan Taliban of harboring Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants who launch cross-border attacks. Kabul has denied these allegations.
The accusations come after Pakistani security forces claimed to have killed all 33 militants from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) who hijacked the Jaffar Express, which was carrying more than 400 passengers. However, the Pakistani military has not provided any photographic or video evidence of the operation.
BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch challenged Pakistan’s claims, insisting that “the battle is still ongoing across multiple fronts.” He accused the military of abandoning its own personnel, saying, “They have neither achieved victory on the battlefield nor managed to save their hostage personnel.”
Passengers who arrived in Quetta told local media that BLA militants voluntarily released women, children, and elderly passengers soon after seizing the train.
The group has also called for independent journalists and international observers to visit the conflict zone, arguing that Pakistan’s refusal to grant such access is proof of its “defeat.”
