In the city of Multan, Punjab, families of Pakistani soldiers killed during the hijacking of the Jaffar Express train by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) staged a protest, calling for justice and demanding action against the group.
Around two dozen protesters gathered on Thursday, including relatives of the military personnel who died in the March attack. They urged the government to take decisive action against the BLA and to prevent future attacks on security forces.
Jaffer Express Hijacking
In March this year, the Baloch Liberation Army hijacked the Jaffar Express, a passenger train reportedly carrying both civilians and Pakistani security personnel. According to the group, all civilian passengers were released unharmed, while 214 security personnel were taken hostage.
The BLA then issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Pakistani government, demanding the “unconditional release of Baloch political prisoners, forcibly disappeared persons, and national resistance activists.” However, Pakistani forces launched a military operation instead. Following the operation, the BLA announced that it had executed all 214 hostages.
In a statement, the BLA blamed Pakistani authorities for ignoring opportunities for a “serious prisoner exchange,” accusing the state of being “fixated on war” and abandoning its own personnel “to die as hostages.”
“As a result of this stubbornness, all 214 hostages have been executed,” the BLA said at the time.
The group also issued a warning to the people of Punjab, particularly to families of military personnel. “Do not send your children to die in Balochistan for the ambitions of Pakistan’s generals,” it said. “You are not our enemy. But if your sons participate in the Baloch genocide, you will see only their bodies.”