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 the Jaffar Express from Quetta to Peshawar would not depart today, while the return service from Peshawar to Quetta would be sent back from Jacobabad.
Railway authorities added that train operations across Balochistan have remained suspended for the past two days, while the Bolan Mail and Chaman Passenger services to Karachi were already halted.
Meanwhile, several trains departing from Karachi also faced delays. According to railway police, the Tezgam left at 1:30am instead of its scheduled 5:30pm departure, prompting passengers to protest at Cantt Station.
Railway police further said the Sukkur Express, scheduled to depart at 11:30pm, had still not left by Friday morning.
It may be noted that at least 14 people, including three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, were martyred and several others injured in a blast which occurred near the railway track close to Chaman Phatak in Quetta on May 24, the Balochistan government spokesperson said.
Several women and children had also sustained injuries in the explosion and were shifted to hospitals for medical treatment.
Following the blast, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir stressed that terrorist attacks could not weaken the Pakistani nation’s resolve, and vowed to crush terrorism with full force.
A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations said that CDF Munir visited Zhob District, Balochistan, to celebrate Eid ul Adha with frontline troops deployed along the Western frontiers on Wednesday.
Referring to the recent cowardly terrorist incident in Quetta, orchestrated by Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Hindustan and its proxies, the field marshal reaffirmed that such inhuman and brutal acts cannot weaken the resolve of Pakistan Armed Forces or the nation.
CDF Munir emphasised that the morale and resolve of 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, would continue to pursue all facilitators, abettors and perpetrators of terrorism with full force.
