India rejects Pakistan’s claim after Balochistan train hijacking: ‘World knows where epicentre of terrorism lies’ | Latest News India

India on Friday strongly rejected the Pakistan foreign office’s claim that India had a hand in the Jaffar Express hijacking in Balochistan.

MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We strongly reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan. The whole world knows where the epicenter of global terrorism lies. Pakistan should look inwards instead of pointing fingers and shifting the blame for its own internal problems and failures on to others.”

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan claimed that the rebels involved in the attack on the Jaffar Express were in contact with ring leaders in Afghanistan.

“India has been involved in terrorism in Pakistan. In the particular attack on Jaffar Express, the terrorists had been in contact with their handlers and ring leaders in Afghanistan,” Shafqat Ali Khan said during his weekly press briefing.

The MEA statement comes after Pakistan security forces claimed that they had eliminated all 33 Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) rebels who had hijacked the Jaffar Express, which was carrying more than 400 passengers.

The Pakistani Army has not released any photographs or video of the claimed “successful operation”. The rebel BLA claimed that the ISPR was covering up defeat.

Jeeyand Baloch, spokesperson for the BLA, insisted that the battle is still ongoing across multiple fronts. He accused the state of “abandoning its own soldiers” and leaving them “to die as hostages.”

Released passengers who reached Quetta told Pakistani media that BLA fighters voluntarily freed women, children, and elderly individuals soon after seizing the train.

The BLA has also challenged Pakistani authorities to allow independent journalists and impartial observers into the conflict zone. The group contends the army’s reluctance to permit such access demonstrates its “defeat”.