The information minister, Attaullah Tarar, expressed his gratitude to Allah for the successful conclusion of the operation in Baluchistan, which resulted in the elimination of 33 terrorists involved in the kidnapping of Jaffar Express.
Speaking about the tragic incident on Wednesday, Tarar said that the operation had been carried out effectively, saving the lives of innocent civilians retained by the militants. He argued that, before the operation, 21 lives were lost, including the martyrdom of four Pakistan army soldiers.
However, during the operation, the Security Forces, including the Pakistan Army, the Borders Corps, the Special Services Group (SSG) and the Air Force, showed great courage and successfully rescued the 440 passengers of the kidnapped train, transferred it to a safe place.
Tarar also condemned the propaganda around the incident, particularly from the Indian media, the Baloch Liberation Army (Bla) and the Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI). He accused these entities of spreading a coordinated narrative with respect to the attack, which suggests that they were trying to exploit the tragedy for their own political benefit.
In addition, he criticized PTI for aligning with the Indian media and Bla, emphasizing that they should have focused on verified information related to the operation. Tarar declared that PTI should feel ashamed of creating a false narrative and politicizing the problem.
The information minister also stressed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had praised the capabilities of Pakistan’s security forces to execute the successful operation.
He reiterated that Pakistan would not rest until terrorism is eradicated from the country, and emphasized the government’s commitment to ensure that such incidents do not happen again.
He assured that the armed forces, security agencies, the police and the rangers of Pakistan remain vigilant and will continue to pursue and stop terrorists. Tararo emphasized the unwavering resolution of the Prime Minister, the Government and the Pakistan army to eliminate terrorism and restore peace in the country.
With respect to Bla, Tarar declared that the plot of the terrorist group had been exposed and frustrated, and would not succeed in their dire goals. In addition, he said that the nation was prepared to face any challenge with courage and determination.
The information minister concluded by mentioning that Prime Minister Shehbaz had spoken with Baluchistan’s prime minister and visit the province the next day to discuss the details and describe the next steps to address the sequelae of the attack.
