Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar has praised the timely actions of security forces for averting a major disaster in the Jaffar Express attack, comparing it to the devastating attack on the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar.
Speaking to media outside court, Gohar stated that the attack could have been as catastrophic as the APS tragedy, but security forces successfully prevented it, Express News reported.
He commended the role of the forces in averting a disaster.
Gohar also discussed PTI’s efforts to negotiate with the government. He said that PTI had formed a committee on December 4 to initiate talks, and subsequent meetings took place in December and January. PTI made two demands to the government, which were presented in writing after the government asked for them. However, Gohar claimed that the government failed to act on the opportunities for negotiation.
He also criticised the government’s handling of PTI founder Imran Khan’s situation, saying that no one from the government has been allowed to meet him for six months. “This is a violation of court orders and human rights,” he added.
Commenting on the recent actions of Pakistan’s military, Gohar praised the Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) for an informative press conference and reiterated the security forces’ vital role in preventing further tragedy.
Yesterday, ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif said India is the main sponsor of terrorism in Balochistan, following the recent attack on the Jaffer Express. He added that Indian outlets circulated AI-generated videos and broadcast content that misrepresented the terrorists’ actions.
His comments came during a joint press conference in Islamabad on Friday, where he was accompanied by Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti. They provided details about the attack on Jaffer Express, which was targeted by separatist militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
The train, en route from Quetta to Peshawar, was attacked in the Dhadar region of the Bolan Pass, with over 400 passengers taken hostage. Security forces successfully rescued the hostages and neutralised all the assailants in a subsequent operation.
According to DG ISPR, the attack began when the train was halted by an improvised explosive device (IED) at approximately 1 pm in a mountainous area. Prior to this, militants had attacked a Frontier Corps (FC) checkpost, killing three soldiers.
“The BLA militants were positioned in multiple groups, including on the surrounding hills,” he explained. “They took passengers hostage, separating women and children inside the train while escorting the remaining hostages to various locations outside.”
The military official also revealed that on the evening of March 11, a group of hostages was released under the pretext of ethnicity, further fueling tensions and division.
He described the rescue operation that ensued, detailing how security forces surrounded the area on March 12, engaging in a firefight with the militants. Some hostages were able to escape during the exchange. He emphasized that, remarkably, not a single hostage was killed during the operation, which he hailed as one of the most successful counter-terrorism operations in recent years.
“This was the most successful hostage rescue operation in global history, considering the terrain and presence of suicide bombers in the area,” he remarked. “Despite the challenges, our forces executed the mission with precision and minimal casualties.”
