Pakistan Railways (PR) has announced that train services to and from Balochistan including the Jaffar Express will continue without interruption, assuring the public that adequate security measures are in place to ensure the safety of passengers, crew, and infrastructure.
All railway operations in Balochistan remain active. We’re doing everything we can to protect our passengers, said PR Chief Executive Officer Amir Ali Baloch in a statement. He also refuted reports that the Jaffar Express came under attack, clarifying that the incident involved only the pilot engine.
According to a PR spokesperson, three bullets were fired around 10 a.m. at a pilot engine escorting the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express between the Kolpur and Dozan sections. The shots struck the fireman’s side of the engine, but no injuries were reported, and the crew remained unharmed.
As a precaution, the train was stopped at a safe location and resumed its journey only after security clearance. The pilot engine later returned safely to its station, while the Jaffar Express reached Kolpur station at 10:10 a.m., where it was guarded by Frontier Corps (FC) for the onward journey.
This incident follows a derailment last week near Shikarpur in Sindh, where three coaches of the Jaffar Express went off track due to a suspected explosion, injuring one passenger. However, the Railways Ministry later stated it was caused by a technical fault.
Earlier this year, on March 11, the Jaffar Express was hijacked near Bolan by terrorists, prompting PR to implement strict security protocols across Balochistan’s railway network. These include enhanced security at stations, onboard trains, and along major railway routes.
Currently, Pakistan Railways operates four daily passenger trains connecting Balochistan with Punjab and Sindh, including the Jaffar Express and Bolan Express. Freight trains also run regularly on various routes across the province.
The Jaffar Express departs from Peshawar each morning and arrives in Quetta the next day via major cities including Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, and Sukkur. In return, it leaves Quetta at 9 a.m. and reaches Peshawar the next morning at 7 a.m.
The Bolan Express leaves Karachi at 8 p.m. daily and arrives in Quetta by 6:55 p.m. the following day, with stops across interior Sindh and Balochistan. Two additional local trains operate within the province on the Sibbi Harnai and Quetta Chaman routes.
