ISLAMABAD, March 17 – A deadly assault on the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan has underscored Pakistan’s deepening security crisis, as Baloch separatists ramp up attacks amid accusations of foreign involvement. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most powerful separatist group in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, stormed the train on March 11, taking hundreds of passengers hostage in a mountainous region. The standoff ended after 36 hours, with Pakistani authorities reporting 26 security personnel and passengers killed, along with 33 rebels.
The attack was part of a broader surge in violence, with Baloch rebels launching 57 attacks in 48 hours, targeting security forces and infrastructure. Islamabad has blamed its “eastern neighbor” India and Afghan-based handlers for supporting the insurgents, a charge both countries have previously denied.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during a visit to Quetta after the attack, acknowledged that underdevelopment in Balochistan has fueled terrorism, a rare admission by a Pakistani leader. Baloch separatists have long accused Islamabad of exploiting the resource-rich province while subjecting its people to human rights abuses, including enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
The Pakistani military has responded to insurgent attacks with force but has struggled to contain the rebellion. The BLA has carried out high-profile operations, including a November 2024 suicide bombing at a train station in Quetta that killed at least two dozen people. The group has also repeatedly targeted Chinese workers involved in Beijing-backed projects in the province.
Pakistan has also shifted its stance on Afghanistan, once welcoming the Taliban’s 2021 return to power as a strategic victory. Now, Islamabad accuses the Taliban-led government of providing safe havens for both Baloch separatists and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), another militant group conducting deadly attacks inside Pakistan.
With political instability and economic turmoil gripping the country, Islamabad faces mounting pressure to resolve the insurgency. Security analysts warn that military action alone will not bring stability and that Pakistan must address the underlying political and economic grievances in Balochistan.
