Federal Railroad Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said that Jaffar Express will resume its operations as of today, administered by the State Pakistan radio reported on Tuesday.
Last week, Pakistan Railways (PR) suspended all its Punjab and Sindh operations to Baluchistan and vice versa, after the terrorist attack against Jaffar Express.
The Express Jaffer was attacked on Tuesday afternoon when the terrorists of the Baluchistan Liberation Army (Bla) ambush the train to Peshawar with 440 passengers, opening fire and taking hostages. Consequently, security forces began an operation that lasted two days.
On Wednesday night, the general director of Public Relations between Services (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, confirmed that the operation had been completed, with 33 murdered terrorists. The ISPR chief also said that 26 hostages, including 18 security personnel, lost their lives, but no hostage was damaged during the final rescue phase. Five more security personnel were martyred during the operation.
Speaking to journalists outside the House of Parliament in Islamabad, the Railway Minister said that drone surveillance for train operations in Baluchistan will be launched, Pakistan radio reported.
“The service had been suspended after the railway road was damaged in a recent attack, but now it has been completely restored,” he added.
He also said that CCTV cameras are also being installed in railway stations and other sensitive locations throughout the country to improve security, according to Pakistan radio.
Earlier on Saturday, Abbasi announced a compensation package of RS5.2 million for the families of the victims of the Jaffar Express train attack, along with jobs for their children in their ministry.
The Federal Research Agency also arrested a suspect involved in an alleged “anti-state campaign” on social networks for the attack of Jaffar Express of Banigala on the outskirts of Islamabad and was then produced before a judge, who sent him to a physical referee for three days.
