- Quetta railway services suspended for another day across the Balochistan routes.
- Jaffar Express stopped, return service diverted via Jacobabad.
- Tezgam delay sparks protest as Sukkur Express remains stranded.
Train services to and from Quetta and across parts of Balochistan remained suspended for another day on Friday, railway officials said, citing “unavoidable circumstances” for the disruption.
They said Jaffar Express from Quetta to Peshawar would not depart today while the return service from Peshawar to Quetta would be sent back from Jacobabad.
The railway authorities added that train operations across Balochistan remained suspended for the past two days while Bolan Mail and Chaman Passenger services to Karachi were already halted.
Meanwhile, several trains departing from Karachi also faced delays. According to the railway police, Tezgam left at 01.30 instead of the planned departure at 5.30pm, prompting passengers to protest at Cantt Station.
The Railway Police further said that the Sukkur Express scheduled to depart at 11:30 p.m., still had not passed Friday morning.
It may be noted that at least 14 people, including three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, were martyred and several others injured in an explosion that took place near the railway track near Chaman Phatak in Quetta on May 24, Balochistan government spokesman said.
Several women and children had also sustained injuries in the blast and were shifted to hospitals for medical treatment.
After the blast, Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir stressed that terrorist attacks could not weaken the resolve of the Pakistani nation and vowed to crush terrorism with full force.
A statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations said CDF Munir visited Zhob District, Balochistan, to celebrate Eid ul Adha with frontline troops deployed along the western borders on Wednesday.
Referring to the recent cowardly terrorist incident in Quetta, orchestrated by the Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Hindustan and its proxies, the Field Marshal reaffirmed that such inhumane and brutal acts cannot weaken the resolve of the Pakistan Armed Forces or the nation.
CDF Munir stressed that the morale and resolve of the troops and the people of Pakistan remained unshaken. He reiterated that the armed forces in close coordination with law enforcement agencies and the people of Balochistan will continue to pursue all facilitators, criminals and perpetrators of terrorism with full force.
