Pakistan: Three coaches of Jaffer Express derail due to explosion; 1 injured
Peshawar (PTI): Three coaches of the Quetta-bound Jaffer Express train derailed due to an explosion on Monday, leaving one injured in Pakistan's southeast Sindh province, officials said.
While railway officials said that it may take up to another five hours to restore the track from rain traffic, the Sindh administration has ordered an investigation into the incident.
Sukkur Railways Divisional Superintendent Jamshaid Alam said the Jaffar Express was travelling from Peshawar to Quetta when it got caught in an explosion near Shikarpur in Sindh Province. Rescue teams from Sukkur were immediately dispatched to start repair work.
"Following the blast, train operations have been suspended," Alam said, adding that passengers "faced serious difficulties due to the derailment".
This is not the first time the train has suffered such an incident.
In June, the detonation of a remote-controlled explosive device fitted to rail tracks derailed four bogies of the Jaffar Express near the cattle market in Jacobabad. No one was injured in the incident, but the attack was reportedly claimed by the banned Baloch Republican Guards in a statement.
On March 11, the train became the target of an unprecedented hijacking when terrorists fired on the locomotive and took over 400 passengers hostage.
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Ready to face no-confidence motion, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
Hassan (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that the Congress government led by him was ready to face the no-confidence motion if moved by the opposition during the legislature session from December 8.
With Deputy CM D K Shivakumar by his side, he reiterated that they would both abide by the high command's decision on the leadership issue.
"Let them (opposition) bring in a no-confidence motion or adjournment motion or any other motion. We are ready to face it. Ours is an open book, transparent government. We are ready to face anything," Siddaramaiah said in response to a question.
However, BJP state President B Y Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, clarified that the party, along with the JD(S) has not discussed or decided anything so far regarding moving a no-confidence motion against the government.
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The winter session of the Karnataka legislature will begin in Belagavi, bordering Maharashtra, on December 8 and will go on till 19th of this month.
Not wanting to react to a question on the leadership issue, the CM said the Congress high command is very strong.
"D K Shivakumar and I will be committed to whatever the high command decides," he said.
Earlier in the day in Bengaluru, Shivakumar accompanied AICC Mallikarjun Kharge till airport from Vidhana Soudha, after paying tributes to B R Ambedkar on his 69th death anniversary, which had led to some speculation about possible discussion between the two on the leadership issue.
The power tussle within the ruling party had intensified amid speculation about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
However, both the CM and Deputy CM had recently held breakfast meetings at each others residences, on the instructions of the high command, which is seen as a move to pause the leadership tussle between the two and to signal Siddaramaiah's continuation as the CM for the time being, especially ahead of the Belagavi legislature session.
