The derailment of the Jaffar Express near the Sindh – Balochistan border on Monday was more than just another railway accident. For many, it was a stark reminder of a conflict that has simmered for decades in Pakistan’s largest yet most neglected province. The blast, caused by an improvised device planted along the tracks, injured at least a dozen passengers and damaged four coaches. But beyond the immediate tragedy, it also highlighted the unresolved grievances of the Balochi freedom movement, whose insurgents have frequently targeted infrastructure to voice their demands for autonomy and justice.
The Incident
The train, a long-distance passenger service linking Quetta to Rawalpindi, was making its routine journey through Mastung district when the explosion tore through the line. The impact was sudden and violent: coaches rattled, one overturned, and terrified passengers scrambled in the dust and smoke. Among the injured were women and children, several of whom were later listed in critical condition.
Rescue teams rushed to the site, navigating difficult terrain to evacuate the wounded. Railway officials confirmed that emergency measures were launched immediately, though survivors said it took agonising minutes before ambulances and police arrived. In those moments, passengers relied on one another. Witnesses described strangers lifting broken metal to pull out the trapped, comforting frightened children, and bandaging wounds with torn clothing.
A survivor, still shaken, recalled: “There was a loud bang, and then the whole coach shook like a toy. We fell over one another. Some thought we would not survive. People prayed out loud.”
More Than an Act of Sabotage
While the Pakistani state quickly condemned the blast as an act of terrorism, many in Balochistan view such incidents differently. To them, attacks on railways, gas pipelines, and roads are not random violence but targeted strikes against symbols of a central government they believe has plundered their land while giving little back.
Balochi freedom fighters have waged armed resistance for decades, demanding political autonomy and greater control over the province’s vast natural resources. Balochistan is rich in gas, coal, copper, and gold, yet remains one of the poorest regions in Pakistan. In many districts, literacy rates are far below the national average, clean drinking water is scarce, and job opportunities are limited.
“People here see their resources being extracted for the benefit of Punjab and Sindh while their own villages remain in darkness,” said a political activist in Quetta. “That is why the resistance continues. The state calls it militancy, but for us it is a freedom struggle.”
A History of Resistance
Balochistan’s insurgency is not new. The province has witnessed several waves of armed uprisings since Pakistan’s independence in 1947. Each wave has been marked by brutal crackdowns, disappearances, and military operations that quelled rebellion for a time but never addressed underlying grievances.
The latest insurgency began in the early 2000s, after the killing of veteran leader Nawab Akbar Bugti in a military operation. Since then, attacks on state institutions, security forces, and infrastructure have become more frequent. Railways, in particular, have been soft targets. The Jaffar Express has been hit multiple times. Earlier this year, insurgents hijacked the train after destroying sections of track, leading to a deadly standoff with the army.
The choice of targets is deliberate. Railways symbolise connectivity between Balochistan and the rest of Pakistan—links that many freedom fighters argue exist only to extract resources and enforce federal control. Disrupting them is, in their view, a way to assert that the province cannot be ignored.
Anger and Questions
The latest attack has stirred anger among ordinary people, not only because of the injuries inflicted but also because of what it reveals about ongoing neglect. Families of passengers asked how explosives could be planted on such a vital route without detection. Critics of Pakistan Railways argue that despite repeated attacks, authorities have not invested in serious security infrastructure, such as surveillance cameras, trained patrols, or protective fencing along vulnerable stretches.
Officials have promised another investigation, but Balochistanis say they have heard such promises many times before. “Every time there is an attack, they announce inquiries. But nothing changes,” said a Mastung resident. “The reality is, they don’t care about our lives. They only care about protecting their pipelines and military convoys.”
The View From Islamabad
The federal government, meanwhile, continues to frame the insurgency as a law-and-order problem. Military operations are routinely launched in troubled districts, and official statements emphasise development projects such as the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through Balochistan. Yet for many locals, these projects only deepen feelings of exclusion.
“CPEC roads and ports may benefit the country, but they do not change the fact that ordinary Baloch still live without electricity or schools,” said a journalist based in Gwadar. “The government celebrates foreign investment, but the people here see little of it.”
Human Toll of a Political Conflict
The victims of Monday’s blast were not politicians or soldiers but ordinary passengers. Yet their suffering is inseparable from the wider conflict. For freedom fighters, such attacks are statements of defiance against the state; for ordinary citizens, they are the costs of a war fought in their name.
In Quetta’s hospitals, families kept vigil over the injured, some of them children with bandaged heads and broken limbs. Mothers wept quietly, while fathers sat in silence, uncertain what the future would bring.
But even in grief, anger toward the state was visible. Relatives of victims accused the government of failing to provide safety on its most important transport routes. Others expressed sympathy for the insurgents, insisting that the real blame lay with Islamabad’s refusal to address decades of political and economic injustice.
The Road Ahead
The derailment of the Jaffar Express highlights the paradox at the heart of Balochistan’s crisis. On one hand, the province is essential to Pakistan’s future: it is rich in resources, strategically located, and central to regional trade routes. On the other, it remains politically marginalised and economically deprived, fuelling the very insurgency that disrupts its development.
Unless meaningful dialogue takes place, addressing demands for autonomy, fair resource distribution, and respect for Baloch identity, attacks like this will continue. Military operations may suppress insurgents temporarily, but they do not end the struggle.
For passengers of the Jaffar Express, the blast was a moment of terror. For Balochistan, it was another reminder of a fight that has lasted generations. And for Pakistan, it was a warning that stability will remain elusive until the province’s people feel they are equal partners in the nation’s future.
