Balochistan [Pakistan], March 12 : The situation in the Jaffar Express hijack has taken a dire turn, with authorities dispatching over 200 coffins to Quetta railway station, indicating expectations of heavy casualties.
Human rights activist Amjad Ayub Mirza believes the Pakistani army has decided not to negotiate, putting the lives of military personnel at risk.
Mirza said in a statement, "More than 200 wooden coffins have been brought at the Quetta Railway Station. This means that the Pakistani army has decided not to do negotiations, thus has decided to get its military personnel killed."
He added that the bodies of 30-40 military personnel had already been brought to Quetta, and an emergency had been declared in nearby hospitals.
A tense standoff is unfolding in Pakistan, where the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has hijacked the Jaffar Express train, holding over 200 hostages, mostly Pakistani security personnel.
The BLA has given Pakistan a 24-hour ultimatum to exchange prisoners, warning that if no progress is made, the hostages will be tried in the Baloch National Court.
The BLA has accused the Pakistani government of hypocrisy and indifference to the lives of its personnel, alleging that the detainees are responsible for extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and exploitation of Balochistan's resources.
Initially, the BLA had given Pakistan a 48-hour ultimatum to negotiate a prisoner exchange. However, with Pakistan's refusal to act and its delay tactics, the BLA now asserts that the window for negotiation is rapidly closing. In the press release, the BLA accused the Pakistani government of hypocrisy and a lack of seriousness about securing the safety of its own military personnel.
In the press release, the BLA emphasised that the individuals in their custody, including intelligence agents, police, and paramilitary forces, are directly involved in what the group terms "state terrorism" and "war crimes" against the Baloch people.
According to the press release by the BLA, "The occupying state's indifference to the lives of its personnel only proves their disregard for human rights and truth. If Pakistan does not take practical steps within the remaining 24 hours, we will present the hostages before the Baloch National Court."
As the deadline looms, the BLA has threatened to execute five hostages for every hour of delay while offering Pakistan a final chance to negotiate a prisoner exchange. The situation remains volatile, with the fate of the hostages hanging in the balance.
According to the release, the Baloch Liberation Army is offering the Pakistani state a final chance to discard propaganda, recognize the harsh realities on the ground, confront the truth instead of creating false narratives, and take concrete actions for a prisoner exchange. Failure to do so will result in irreversible decisions by the Baloch National Resistance, with each passing moment intensifying the consequences for the enemy.
Meanwhile, Pakistani military operation has rescued 190 passengers and killed 30 terrorists after a train hijacking in Balochistan province, reported Voice of America.
The Jaffar Express, carrying around 450 people, was attacked by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) with bombs and guns on Tuesday. The train was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar when it was intercepted in a tunnel near Sibbi.
The BLA claimed responsibility for the attack, stating they were holding over 200 hostages, mostly security and intelligence personnel.
The attack resulted in the death of the train driver and injured at least 37 people, who are currently receiving treatment in hospitals, reported Voice of America.
The BLA, designated as a terrorist group by Pakistan, has been fighting a deadly insurgency against the Pakistani state. They accuse the state of exploiting Balochistan's natural resources and oppose Chinese investment in the region.
Security sources report that those involved in the attack are based in Afghanistan, and Islamabad has blamed recent attacks on militants present on Afghan soil. The Afghan Taliban denies providing sanctuary to anti-Pakistan fighters, reported Voice of America.
Since the beginning of the year, the BLA has ramped up attacks on security forces, settlers and workers, primarily from the eastern Punjab province.
Earlier this month, a female suicide bomber detonated her explosive devices near a military convoy in Balochistan's Kalat district, killing at least one security worker and injuring four others.
Last month, BLA insurgents ambushed a bus transporting a paramilitary force in Kalat and killed 18 of those on board.
Days later, a roadside bomb blast killed 11 coal miners in the city, while the BLA took credit for attacking a military vehicle securing a supply convoy for a mining company operated by China.