India Dismisses Pakistan's Allegation in Train Hijacking, Urges Islamabad to Self-Reflect

India on Friday dismissed allegations from Pakistan's Foreign Office claiming New Delhi's involvement in the Jaffar Express hijacking incident. In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal refuted the accusations as baseless. He urged Pakistan to focus on its internal issues, describing the country as the "epicenter of global terrorism."

Soldier takes position as security gets ramped up following the Jaffar Express Hijacking. AP

“We strongly reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan. The whole world knows where the epicentre of global terrorism lies. Pakistan should look inwards instead of pointing fingers and shifting the blame for its own internal problems and failures onto others,” Jaiswal stated in a Friday announcement.

India responded to the matter following remarks by Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson, Shafaqat Ali Khan, who suggested that the rebels behind the Jaffar Express attack had ties with ring leaders in Afghanistan and accused India of involvement. “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 ring leaders in Afghanistan,” Khan stated this during the weekly press briefing on Thursday.

The Taliban also denounced Pakistan's claim, emphasizing that the Afghan regime had no involvement in the attack.

Taliban Dismisses Pakistan’s Accusations

A Taliban spokesperson dismissed Pakistan’s accusations as “unfounded,” according to AMU TV. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, stated, “These claims are baseless.” The Taliban has previously denied similar allegations from Pakistan, which has repeatedly asserted that militant groups operating within its borders have safe havens in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s security forces claimed to have eliminated all 33 Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) rebels who hijacked the Jaffar Express with 400 passengers onboard. However, the Pakistani Army has yet to release any photographs or video evidence to substantiate these claims, leading to speculation.

In response, the BLA accused Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) of attempting to “cover up its defeat.” The militant group asserted that “the battle is still ongoing across multiple fronts.” BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch alleged that the “Pakistani Army has neither secured victory on the battlefield nor successfully rescued its hostage personnel.”

Furthermore, he accused the state of “abandoning its own soldiers and leaving them to die as hostages.” The BLA also challenged Pakistani authorities, demanding that independent journalists and impartial observers be granted access to what they described as the “conflict zone.”

Attack on Pakistan Train

Militants seized a train in Pakistan’s Balochistan, killing 21 passengers and four paramilitary soldiers.

The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, responsible for several recent deadly attacks, claimed responsibility for the assault, which began on Tuesday and concluded on Wednesday when troops eliminated all 33 insurgents. The military stated that no additional passenger casualties occurred during the operation.

The Jafer Express was traveling from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, to Peshawar in the north when insurgents detonated explosives on the track, causing nine coaches and the engine to halt partially inside a tunnel.

(This Article was originally published by First Post)