- By Nidhi Giri
- Fri, 14 Mar 2025 09:47 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
India has strongly rejected the allegations made by the Pakistan foreign office that India had a hand in the Jaffar Express hijack in Balochistan. Jaffar Express, carrying over 450 passengers, was seized by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) on March 11, leading to a deadly confrontation. Pakistan must look inwards instead of blaming others, the Indian government has said, echoing its previous stance that Islamabad harboured a terror hotbed.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the claims made by Pakistan are “baseless".
"We strongly reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan. The whole world knows where the epicenter of global terrorism lies. Pakistan should look inwards instead of pointing fingers and shifting the blame for its own internal problems and failures on to others," said MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan claimed that the rebels involved in the attack on the Jaffar Express were in contact with ring leaders in Afghanistan.
"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," Shafqat Ali Khan said during his weekly press briefing.
Afghanistan Responds To Pakistan’s Allegations
Afghanistan’s foreign affairs ministry said, “We categorically reject baseless allegations by the Pakistani army spokesman linking the attack on a passenger train in Balochistan province with Afghanistan, & urge Pakistani side to focus on resolving their own security & internal problems instead of such irresponsible remarks.
BLA had claimed responsibility for hijacking the passenger train, executing 50 hostages in retaliation against a military offensive by the Pakistan Army. The train, carrying over 400 passengers, was stormed by armed separatists who took more than 200 people hostage.
(With Agency Inputs)