Defence Minister Khawaja Asif lambastes PTI for ‘politicising’ Jaffar Express hijacking

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday assailed the PTI for “politicising” the recent hijacking of the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan and misinterpreting the situation on social media.The incident occurred on Tuesday morning when the train, travelling from Quetta to Peshawar and carrying 440 passengers, was ambushed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) terrorists. They opened fire on the train and held the passengers hostage, prompting the security forces to initiate an operation that lasted two days.On Wednesday evening, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that the operation had been concluded, with 33 terrorists present at the site of the attack neutralised. The ISPR chief also confirmed that 21 passengers and four Frontier Corps personnel lost their lives in the hijacking, but no hostages were harmed during the final rescue phase.Recalling the successful completion of the clearance operation today, Asif said, “God forbid, there could have been a lot of casualties, but the security forces eliminated the terrorists.“Our war against terrorism is a big milestone that the entire country can be proud of. If the entire nation stands proud like this with our armed forces, then there is no doubt we will be successful in our war [against terrorism],” the minister asserted.Detailing the attack, Asif said the “passengers were separated based on the provinces they belonged to”, referring to multiple incidents in Balochistan over the past few years where people hailing from Punjab were targeted.The minister then directed his attention towards the opposition, PTI, assailing its social media statements related to the incident. “What’s more upsetting is the way PTI’s social media interpreted the situation.”A day ago — when the rescue operation was still underway — the coalition government maintained an uncanny silence in the NA over the hijacking, despite scathing criticism from Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan, who slammed the handling of the attack that shook the nation.Surprisingly, no one from the federal cabinet bothered to give a policy statement on the incident, even though several key ministers, including Asif, newly inducted Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, were seen in the house during the opposition leader’s nearly two-hour-long speech.More to follow

Get the latest news and updates from Dawn Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday assailed the PTI for “politicising” the recent hijacking of the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan and misinterpreting the situation on social media. The incident occurred on Tuesday morning when the train, travelling from Quetta to Peshawar and carrying 440 passengers, was ambushed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) terrorists. They opened fire on the train and held the passengers hostage, prompting the security forces to initiate an operation that lasted two days.

On Wednesday evening, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that the operation had been concluded, with 33 terrorists present at the site of the attack neutralised. The ISPR chief also confirmed that 21 passengers and four Frontier Corps personnel lost their lives in the hijacking, but no hostages were harmed during the final rescue phase. Recalling the successful completion of the clearance operation today, Asif said, “God forbid, there could have been a lot of casualties, but the security forces eliminated the terrorists.

“Our war against terrorism is a big milestone that the entire country can be proud of. If the entire nation stands proud like this with our armed forces, then there is no doubt we will be successful in our war [against terrorism],” the minister asserted. Detailing the attack, Asif said the “passengers were separated based on the provinces they belonged to”, referring to multiple incidents in Balochistan over the past few years where people hailing from Punjab were targeted.

The minister then directed his attention towards the opposition, PTI, assailing its social media statements related to the incident. “What’s more upsetting is the way PTI’s social media interpreted the situation.” A day ago — when the rescue operation was still underway — the coalition government maintained an uncanny silence in the NA over the hijacking, despite scathing criticism from Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan, who slammed the handling of the attack that shook the nation.

Surprisingly, no one from the federal cabinet bothered to give a policy statement on the incident, even though several key ministers, including Asif, newly inducted Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, were seen in the house during the opposition leader’s nearly two-hour-long speech. More to follow.