Islamabad, Mar 13 (EFE).- Pakistan on Thursday accused Afghanistan of sheltering the masterminds behind a deadly train hijacking, claiming that the attackers were in direct with their handlers in Afghan territory.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Khan made the allegations during his weekly press conference, urging the Taliban-led Afghan interim government to take action against the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its backers.
““The terrorists were in direct communication with Afghanistan-based planners throughout the incident,” Khan said, stressing Pakistan’s repeated calls for Afghanistan to prevent its territory from being used as a launchpad for insurgent attacks.
He demanded that Afghanistan hold able the “perpetrators, organizers, and financiers of this reprehensible act of terrorism.”
The spokesperson urged the Taliban government to “cooperate with the government of Pakistan to bring all those who are concerned with this attack, including the real sponsors of terrorism, to justice.”
The accusations follow the conclusion of a rescue operation after BLA militants hijacked the Jaffar Express in Balochistan province on Tuesday.
The militants seized control of the train, which was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, following a bombing near a tunnel in the mountainous Bolan region.
They held 440 engers, including women, children, and over 100 security personnel, hostage.
The Pakistani Army confirmed 21 deaths during the hostage situation, while four soldiers and 33 BLA militants were killed in the rescue operation.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to visit Quetta to assess the security situation and announce new measures following what has been described as Pakistan’s first-ever train hijacking.
However, the BLA rejected the Pakistani Army’s version of events, claiming the announcement of the operation’s success was “a failed attempt to cover up lies and defeat,” according to spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch.
“The ground reality is that the battle continues on multiple fronts and enemy is suffering heavy casualties and military losses,” the spokesperson said.
“The occupying army has neither achieved victory on the battlefield nor managed to save its hostage personnel.”
The BLA further claimed that the so-called “rescued” hostages had, in fact, been released voluntarily “under war ethics and international standards.”
The spokesperson accused the Pakistani Army of spreading propaganda while allegedly leaving its own personnel behind as hostages.
The separatist group provided no evidence to its claims but challenged Pakistan to allow independent journalists access the conflict zone to the situation. EFE
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