Islamabad, April 14 (IANS) A passenger train from Pakistan’s economic hub Karachi to Balochistan’s provincial capital Quetta was stopped at Jacobabad and refused entry into Balochistan province after threats of a targetted attack and hijacking prompted security concerns.
The Bolan Mail train carrying about 150 passengers was stopped in Sindh province’s Jacobabad city, where passengers were offloaded and the train refused entry into Balochistan during early hours of Monday.
As per details, the passenger train departed from Karachi and reached Jacobabad post midnight. The train was stopped at the railway station where Pakistan Railway authorities were informed that further movement would not be allowed until security clearance was given. The train was carrying many government officials, security personnel along with their families.
Security sources stated that the intelligence agencies issued a threat alert of a planned hijacking attempt and attack on the train, similar to the Jaffar Express train hijacking that took place on March 11. This resulted in refusal to allow the train to enter into Balochistan and offloading of passengers in Jacobabad.
Majority of the passengers were moved to Sibbi, from where they used local transport services to return to Karachi.
Pakistan Railway authorities charged passengers the fare from Karachi to Jacobabad and refunded the extra amount that was charged for the journey till Quetta.
The sudden decision to offload passengers at Jacobabad left many passengers stranded at the railway station with no water or electricity. Reportedly, some children also fainted due to the scorching heat and non-availability of water at the station.
“The hours-long stoppage of the Quetta-bound Bolan Mail was due to security reasons as train operations were not allowed in Balochistan during night-time. The train was carrying about 150 passengers,” said Pakistan Railway Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amir Ali Baloch.
“The train’s onward journey was suspended, and passengers were sent to Quetta and other destinations via buses under strict security measures,” he added.
Train routes to Balochistan have been suspended since March 11 when militants of the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) attacked and hijacked Jaffar Express passenger train at the Bolan pass in Balochistan, taking about 400 passengers as hostages. This resulted in a 48-hour standoff between the militants and the security forces. As many as 346 passengers were rescued, 21 lost their lives and 33 BLA militants were killed during the counteroffensive operation.
–IANS
int/hamza/as
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
