A railway blast once again shook Pakistan’s transport system on Tuesday when an explosion near Sultan Kot in Sindh’s Shikarpur district derailed four bogies of the Jaffar Express, leaving at least seven passengers injured. The train, which was traveling from Peshawar to Quetta, was hit by what authorities believe to be an improvised explosive device (IED) planted along the track. The force of the explosion caused several compartments to overturn, sending shockwaves through the carriages and triggering panic among passengers.
image credits: The Economic Times
Rescue and railway teams were dispatched immediately to the site, while the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals in Shikarpur and Jacobabad. Train operations on the route were suspended as law enforcement officials cordoned off the area to begin an investigation. According to initial reports, the blast occurred just a short distance from Sultan Kot station — a section that has previously faced similar incidents.
Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar took notice of the explosion and called for a detailed inquiry. He directed police and intelligence agencies to trace those responsible and ensure their swift arrest, emphasizing that targeting public transport lines is an attack on ordinary citizens. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. The Jaffar Express — which connects Quetta to Peshawar and remains one of the few major passenger routes running through Balochistan — has repeatedly come under attack in recent months. In March this year, the train was hijacked in Balochistan’s Bolan region, resulting in the deaths of several passengers, security personnel, and militants. Since then, the line has been hit multiple times by bomb blasts, derailments, and sabotage attempts — often attributed to insurgent elements active in the area.
Such attacks have become increasingly common in the region, where separatist outfits have long targeted infrastructure — railways, gas pipelines, and communication lines — as part of their armed campaign. While the government continues operations to secure these routes, the recurrence of these incidents underlines how volatile certain parts of Sindh and Balochistan remain.
For passengers who depend on these trains to connect distant cities, every new blast deepens fear and uncertainty. What was once a symbol of movement and connection across provinces is now too often linked with headlines of destruction. The Jaffar Express, in particular, has become an unfortunate marker of how Pakistan’s railway system continues to be caught in the crossfire of instability and unrest.
Sources: Deccan Herald, Dawn, Tribune, Arab News
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