Targeting unarmed people not part of Baloch traditions, says CM Bugti on Jaffar Express hijacking

• Chief minister says terrorists wanted to impose ideology via violence.
• "Such elements not ready to hold dialogue [with government]."
• Bugti vows whoever takes up arms against state to be eliminated.
  

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has strongly condemned the  attack on the Jaffar Express and the hostage-taking of passengers by terrorists, saying that "targeting unarmed people is not part of Baloch traditions".

"Why are we afraid to name those [elements] who are carrying out killings in Balochistan," said Bugti, addressing the Balochistan Assembly session on Wednesday.

His statement came after an unknown number of terrorists blew up a railway track, opened fire, and hijacked the Jaffar Express train near Balochistan's Bolan — which was on a 30-hour-long journey carrying around 400 passengers — on Tuesday as it travelled from Quetta to Peshawar.

He questioned: "Should we apologise to them for the killings of 500 people?" The chief minister added that terrorists wanted to impose their ideology through violence and arms.

Even war has some principles, he said, adding that the history of the Baloch people was filled with examples of bravery and hospitality.

Condemning the terrorist attacks, he said hairdressers and laundrymen were being picked up and killed by the terrorists.

CM Bugti added that such elements were not ready to hold dialogue, a point that he raised multiple times during in-camera briefings. He also said that the terrorists cannot seize an inch of land in Balochistan.

The chief minister vowed that whoever talked about breaking the state and taking up arms would be eliminated. He also clarified that the state will own the common Baloch, however, those elements involved in the killings of innocent people will not be tolerated.

Meanwhile, the Balochistan Assembly passed a resolution, presented by Adviser to Chief Minister on Sports and Youth Affairs Meena Majeed Baloch, to condemn the terrorist attacks.

The hostage rescue operation to free the passengers neared its culmination on Wednesday as security sources confirmed that most of those taken captive were freed.

According to security sources, forces have rescued a large number of hostages, including women and children. The rescued civilians were being used as human shields by the terrorists.

During the clearance operation, the security forces practised utmost caution because of the innocent lives involved.

The number of passengers who embraced martyrdom is being determined, sources said, adding that all terrorists present at the site of the incident were killed.

Earlier, security sources stated that suicide bombers were holding women and children at three different locations, using them as human shields.

Meanwhile, 37 injured individuals were evacuated for medical treatment, security sources confirmed. The situation remains tense as efforts to neutralise the threat are ongoing.

After day-long efforts, the security forces successfully freed at least 190 hostages and eliminated 30 terrorists, pledging to continue the operation until the last militant is defeated.