Gunmen open fire on express train in Pakistan's Balochistan, claim to have taken 100 hostages
Karachi: Unidentified gunmen opened fire on an express train in Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province on Tuesday, injuring several passengers, local media reports said.
The attack on the Jaffer Express passenger train took place near the Ab-e-Gum area of Mach Town in Balochistan's Kachhi district, where around six armed men opened fire on the train, spreading panic among passengers, The Express Tribune reported.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant separatist group, later claimed responsibility for the assault in a statement, asserting that they had taken 100 hostages from the train, including security personnel. However, there has been no official confirmation of the hostages being taken.
According to initial reports, multiple travellers were wounded in the attack.
Rescue teams and security forces have reached the scene, and an operation is underway to track down the assailants, the paper said.
Railway officials confirmed that the train’s driver sustained serious injuries, and an emergency relief train has been dispatched to assist.
"There are reports of intense firing at the Jaffer Express, which was heading from Quetta to Peshawar, between Pehro Kunri and Gadalar,” Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind was quoted as saying by Dawn.
Meanwhile, Controller Railways Muhammad Kashif said that the train, comprising nine coaches, had around 500 passengers on board.
“The train was stopped by armed men in Tunnel No. 8. Efforts are being made to contact the passengers and staff,” the controller said.
Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups frequently carry out attacks targeting security personnel, government projects, and the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in the region.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
