Mehrzaad Baluch
The hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan has once again drawn attention to the region’s long-running insurgency. For decades, the Baloch people have resisted Pakistan’s military control, demanding self-determination, an end to enforced disappearances, and a stop to resource exploitation, yet their pleas have been ignored. The state’s continual dismissal of Baloch grievances has led some to take up arms, joining militant groups like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which was behind the hijacking this week.
This standoff was not an isolated incident but a clear sign of Pakistan’s failing policies in Balochistan. If the international community continues to ignore this conflict, the violence will only escalate.
The Hijacking
On March 11, BLA fighters derailed the Jaffar Express, a passenger train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, in the Mashkaf region of Bolan, Balochistan. The fighters took control of the train and captured security personnel on board. The BLA stated that the attack was a direct response to Pakistan’s decades of oppression in Balochistan.
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