ISLAMABAD:
The army on Friday traced a strong nexus between India, the terrorist group and its handlers operating from Afghanistan via satellite phones behind the hijacking of Jaffer Express.
Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the chief military spokesperson, shared details of the train incident, in a news conference alongside Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general screened several AI-generated, fake and old video clips that were aired by India’s mainstream media, primarily provided by an internationally recognised terrorist group, to glorify the hijacking and build an anti-Pakistan narrative by spreading misinformation.
He also briefed the media about the difficult and mountainous terrain surrounding the incident site near Sibi, using a map slide, and the operation conducted by the security forces, as a result of which the hijackers were killed and the hostages were rescued in a precise and successful operation.
According to the ISPR DG, 354 passengers of Jaffar Express were rescued. Twenty-six people were martyred, while 37 were left injured. No passengers remain in terrorists’ captivity.
He said it was a rugged terrain, kilometers away from the road and population, with no mobile coverage, where physically reaching the site was a very difficult task.
However, the ISPR DG said, personnel of the FC and the army responded to the terrorist activity without any undue delay after the hijackers blew up a railway track with an IED and martyred three soldiers at an FC picket before hijacking the train on March 11.
Lt General Ahmed Sharif said the terrorists were divided into multiple groups and had occupied the heights, taking a group of passengers hostage inside the train while the rest were held outside.
He added that, at the same time, an information warfare campaign was underway, led by the Indian media to glorify the incident, which was inhumane, as innocent people were made hostages and targeted.
He informed that terrorists had released a group of hostages selected on the basis of ethnic profiling, adding terrorists have nothing to do with humanity, nor with Pakistan, nor with Islam.
On the morning of March 12, he said FC and army personnel first engaged the terrorists with ground-based snipers and took them out, which provided a chance to some of the hostages to sneak out from the captivity. “When terrorists were engaged, a group gets a chance, and they started running towards multiple directions. This is because, the snipers engage them,” he added.
By midday, the ISPR DG said, the Zaraar company of the Special Services Group, was got in place which carried out their planning and situational assessment, differentiating between passengers and terrorists, including suicide bombers before engaging them.
“[…] First they clear the engine, and then the terrorists, who encountered them, they started taking them out. And then, bogey by bogey, they cleared the train. So, this is how it slowly and gradually developed into a successful operation,” he said, adding no casualty happened to the hostages during this clearance operation.
He said the security forces successfully carried out a highly complex and meticulously planned counterterrorism operation within 36 hours with professionalism an area where suicide bombers were present.
He highlighted that the operation was executed with utmost professionalism, planning, and unwavering courage by Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force, Frontier Corps (FC), and Special Services Group (SSG), with the nation’s prayers contributing to its success.
He further revealed that links to the terrorist incident have been traced back to Afghanistan. “We have credible intelligence confirming that the networks orchestrating these attacks are operating from across the border in Afghanistan,” he said.
The ISPR DG disclosed that among those involved was a key figure who has previously served in the Afghan army and is now actively engaged in terrorist activities against Pakistan. “The entire chain of events points towards external involvement, specifically from elements based in Afghanistan,” he added.
He lauded the bravery and professionalism of the forces who risked their lives to rescue innocent civilians from an imminent threat. “We are thankful to Allah and salute our brave sons who, with their detailed planning, foresight, courage, and devotion, saved precious lives in an extremely dangerous and challenging environment,” he said.
He recalled that after 2004, a national consensus was built against terrorism, which led to the formulation of a comprehensive National Action Plan (NAP). “All political parties and stakeholders sat together and developed this consensus, which became the foundation of the National Action Plan. The previous government further reviewed and revised it, resulting in a renewed commitment to counter-terrorism,” he said.
He explained that the revised NAP includes 14 critical points that comprehensively address the root causes and mechanisms of terrorism. “If we focus on implementing these 14 points in letter and spirit, I believe terrorism can be eradicated,” he said.
Responding to a question regarding the recent surge in terrorist activities, the ISPR DG said, “Without any hesitation, I would say that unless these 14 points are fully implemented, it will be challenging to achieve sustainable peace.”
He urged all stakeholders, including political parties, institutions, and the public, to play their role in implementing NAP, stressing that national unity and consensus remain essential for overcoming the menace of terrorism.
Questioned about why there was a rise in terrorism, he said the pace of implementation of the National Action Plan’s 14 points needed to be considered first.
He said law enforcement agencies conducted 59,775 intelligence-based operations, both major and minor, in 2024. So far in 2025, 11,654 IBOs have been carried out.
“This year, we are averaging 180 IBOs per day,” he added. Meanwhile, around 1,250 terrorists were “sent to hell” in 2024 and 2025, while 563 security personnel were martyred in the line of duty, he said.
Responding to a question regarding the rise in terrorist activities, the ISPR DG said, “Every moment, security forces are engaged in counter-terrorism efforts. Sacrifices are being made dailysoldiers, police officials, and even civilians are losing their lives to safeguard Pakistan’s future. Children are being orphaned because of this fight.”
He further emphasized the continued threat emanating from Afghanistan, said, “We have irrefutable evidence that terrorist groups, including Khawarij and other factions, have established their leadership, recruitment networks, and training centers inside Afghanistan. Afghan nationals are involved in these activities, and they are providing sanctuary and facilitation to terrorists targeting Pakistan.”
He highlighted the dangerous spillover effects after the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan. “A significant quantity of advanced military equipment, including night vision devices, has found its way into the hands of these terrorist organizations. This has enhanced their operational capabilities,” he said.
He also underlined Pakistan’s firm stance against illegal activities fueling instability in the region. “Pakistan is taking decisive action against a wide range of illegal spectrums, including narcotics trafficking, smuggling, non-custom paid vehicles, and the massive mafias profiting from the smuggling of Iranian petrol and diesel,” he said.
“These mafias, who have long operated freely and undermined Pakistan’s economic and social stability, are now being confronted,” he added. “They resist any effort that threatens their vested interests. But for Pakistan to realize its true potential and overcome its challenges, the state and its people must stand united.”
He said, Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances is already there which is working since 2011. Whoever made a claim about mission person, has every right to go to this commission which is chaired by executives of judiciary.
He said, out of a total 10,405 cases registered with this commission, as many as 8,144 cases had been resolved while 2,261 were under investigation and if we specifically speak about Balochistan, it was only 2,911 cases that reported by from the province. Out of 2,911, only 452 are ‘in balance” as rest of the cases has been resolved.
He said, the state has been resolving the issue of missing persons in systematical, methodological and institutional way.
However, there are questions from the state that should not be gone unanswered. For instance, the details of those who were involved in this atrocity in Bolan is still unknown. Who were they and are they not the missing persons.
The list of those who are part of Fitna ul Khawarij and getting training in Afghanistan should be shared so that the public could know their identity. In Karachi, those who dwelled on footpaths had been buried in thousands. They were also among the missing persons.
The people gone mission around the globe including the UK and the US, he said, asking whether the people from any country resorted to build narrative against their armies. Are those who became victim of terrorism in Pakistan are not among the missing persons.
The people of Pakistan need to understand the motives behind their narrative.
To a query, he said Balochistan is a 44 per cent of Pakistan and 58 per cent of the province’s terrain is mountainous and 20 per cent is desert and sparsely populated. It’s a very challenging intelligence environment vis-à-vis Balochistan.
He said, the country all intelligence agencies worked day and night to find these leads to neuteralize any potential incident through preemptive actions. There is no chest thumping in the work of intelligence and there is need to characterize such incidents as intelligence failure.
