New Delhi: The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which is holding over 200 passengers hostage on a train it has hijacked, issued a fresh warning Wednesday to the Pakistani government saying it has 24 hours left to release Balochi prisoners else the hostages will be put on trial for crimes against Balochi people.
“If Pakistan does not take practical steps within the remaining 24 hours, we will present the hostages before the Baloch National Court,” it said in a statement, according to media reports.
The group said it had full control of the Jaffar Express that it had hijacked more than 24 hours ago in Balochistan province’s Bolan region, adding that it was holding at least 214 Pakistani security personnel, including intelligence agents, police officers, and paramilitary forces, as hostages.
The Pakistani security forces were carrying out a rescue operation, media reports said. Dawn newspaper reported that, as of Wednesday evening, nearly 190 passengers had been rescued. It did not specify if the passengers were security personnel or civilians.
In another statement reported by The Balochistan Post, the BLA said the hostages “will be tried on charges of state atrocities, colonial occupation, genocide, exploitation and involvement in war crimes in the Balochistan province. This trial will be prompt, impartial and transparent, and if found guilty, the criminals will be punished according to Baloch national laws”.
It also said it would punish the hostages if the Pakistani military continued its rescue operation. “It is evident that the Pakistani army neither values the lives of its personnel nor is making a serious attempt at negotiations. If this attitude persists, then with every passing hour after the ultimatum expires, five hostages will be punished according to the decision of the Baloch National Court.”
It said it was “giving the enemy a final opportunity to abandon propaganda”, warning that ”each passing moment will bring more serious consequences for the enemy”, without giving details.
The Jaffar Express left Quetta Tuesday morning, reportedly carrying more than 450 passengers, including women and children. In their first statement, Tuesday evening, the BLA claimed it had initially detained several hundred people but later freed all civilians, including women, children, and elderly passengers. It claimed that only serving Pakistani personnel remain in its captivity.
The BLA also shared a list of 100 army personnel who it claimed were travelling on the train, including senior Pakistani security officers and Major Ahsan Javeed.
In response, Pakistani security forces launched a military operation to regain control of the train. Local media reports said the Pakistani Army had deployed jets, drones, and ground forces. BLA fighters claim they have successfully repelled its efforts.
On Tuesday, the BLA also threatened to execute the hostages in the wake of drone strikes and artillery shelling conducted by security forces. According to local media reports, at least 16 separatists are reported to have been killed in clashes with the security forces, but the BLA has denied this.
The group, which is seeking independence for the Balochistan province, has demanded the immediate release of detained Baloch political prisoners, activists, and captured resistance fighters.
BLA vows to continue struggle
In audio messages shared by the BLA earlier Wednesday, fighters onboard the train vowed to continue their resistance, reiterated their demands and called on the Baloch nation to unite in their struggle for “justice and survival”.
One fighter said that the group had successfully repelled efforts by the Pakistani Army to retake the train. In another message, another fighter claimed the BLA had shot down a drone and held its ground against helicopter and aerial assaults, The Balochistan Post reported.
Soon after, the BLA’s official media channel, Hakkal, also released a 1 minute and 23 second video showing the hijacking of the Jaffar Express.
The footage began with the train travelling through a mountainous area before being struck by an explosive device. It then showed BLA fighters descending from nearby hills, forcing passengers to disembark, and taking control of the train. The video concludes with BLA fighters asserting they had full control of the train.
Meanwhile, Baloch nationalist leader Akhtar Mengal condemned Pakistani authorities, saying that the situation in Balochistan was now beyond control. He accused the state of ignoring the grievances of the Baloch people.
“There is no longer state control in Balochistan. They have lost this war—completely and irreversibly. Instead of listening, they mocked us, fueling a system of oppression, looting, and bloodshed. Every government has played its role in the genocide of the Baloch people”, he wrote on X.
بلوچستان کا کوئی ایسا علاقہ باقی نہیں جہاں حکومت یہ دعویٰ کر سکے کہ اُس کا کنٹرول ہے۔ وہ یہ جنگ ہار چکے ہیں، یہ کہانی ختم ہو چکی ہے۔ ہم نے خبردار کیا تھا، ہم سے پہلے والوں نے بھی خبردار کیا تھا مگر اُن باتوں کو سنجیدہ لینے کے بجائے لوگوں کا نہ کہ مزاق آڑایا گیا بلکہ لوٹ مار اور…
— Akhtar Mengal (@sakhtarmengal) March 11, 2025
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)