PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday praised the Balochistan government and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) for the Jaffar Express rescue operation, saying it “exposed the terrorists to the whole country.”
The hijacking took place on Tuesday afternoon when the Jaffar Express train, en route from Quetta to Peshawar with 440 passengers aboard, was attacked by Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants. The attackers opened fire and took the passengers hostage, leading security forces to launch a two-day operation to rescue them.
“I commend the provincial government and law enforcement agencies for this success, and we stand united with them,” Bilawal said during a ceremony in Karachi.
“This was an outrageous and heinous terrorist attack. When we learned that it had occurred in such a remote location, I anticipated a prolonged operation. However, the efficiency and speed with which this incident was handled not only led to its swift resolution but also exposed these terrorists to the entire country.”
The former foreign minister added that whether it was religious terrorism or terrorism under any other pretext, the PPP and all its workers were committed to tackling this challenge.
“God willing, the entire country will succeed in this war,” he said.
“I’m sure you all would join me in condemning the outrageous terrorist attack in Balochistan over the last couple of days and saluting the bravery with which our armed forces not only took on the terrorists but freed those in captivity,” Bilawal added.
