PTI, Indian media, Afghanistan share similar stance on Jaffar Express attack: Khawaja Asif

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated on Thursday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Afghanistan, and Indian media echoed similar narratives on the Jaffar Express attack, stating that political interests should be set aside in the situation.

Khawaja Asif praised the security forces over their response to the terrorists, who attacked the train in a rugged area of Balochistan, but vituperated the PTI while by drawing parallels between the narratvies of Imran Khan's party and India, with which Pakistan doesn’t share the peaceful ties.  

The Defence Minister said that he observed “a similar tone in the statements of the PTI and Indian media, as well as in social media posts from Afghanistan regarding the Jaffar Express incident.”

Read: Jaffar Express rescue operation concludes; 21 passengers died before clearance: DG ISPR

“We must demonstrate national unity above political interests,” he added. 

The forces, while preventing a devastating incident, neutralised 33 assailants and rescued all the hostages," he said.

The statement came after the March 11 attack on the train, carrying more than 400 passengers from Rawalpindi to Peshawar. The train was attacked in the rugged area of Balochistan. 

The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Security forces took over 24 hours to complete the train clearance operation, killing all 33 terrorists involved in the Jaffar Express hijacking, while 21 passengers and 4 Frontier Corps personnel were martyred; no hostages were harmed during the final rescue phase of operation.