Skip to main content

Train services restored in Balochistan after 5 days; mobile data still suspended in Quetta

QUETTA: Train services were restored in Balochistan on Thursday, after five days of suspension, as the tense security situation eased following a series of counter-terrorism operations in response to a spate of attacks in the province.

However, mobile data services remained suspended for the sixth day in Quetta and some other districts.

“Train services within Balochistan and to other provinces have been,” Muhammad Kashif, spokesperson for Pakistan Railways’ Quetta division, confirmed to Dawn.

He particularly mentioned that the services of the Jaffar Express train on the Quetta-Peshawar route and the Karachi-bound Bolan Mail had been suspended since January 31.

The railway official added that both had been restored now.

He further said that operations of the Quetta-Chaman passenger train had also resumed, and it departed today at its scheduled time.

On the other hand, mobile data services remained suspended in the provincial capital for the sixth consecutive day.

The mobile internet was still inaccessible in Quetta, Balochistan Additional Chief Secretary Hamza Shafqaat told Dawn. However, it was expected to be restored till 12am, he said.

Mobile data also reportedly remained suspended in the Nushki, Sibi and Mastung districts.

The services have also been inaccessible for those in Kalat, Khuzdar, Awaran, Panjgur and Turbat for varying periods due to prior security concerns.

After several days of “mop-up” actions in some parts in the wake of January 31 attacks, the military announced earlier today that security forces successfully concluded “Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1” in Balochistan, killing a total of 216 terrorists.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said 36 civilians, including women and children, and 22 security forces and law enforcement agencies’ personnel were martyred as a result of the operations.

“[…] a broader series of intelligence-based operations were launched in multiple areas to dismantle terrorist sleeper cells through sustained combing and sanitisation operations,” the ISPR detailed.

On January 31, police said suspected explosive materials were found on a railway track in Balochistan’s Nasirabad district.

Railway tracks are a frequent target of terrorists, with the Jaffar Express coming under attack several times over the past year.

On the night of January 26, a blast on the railway track linking Sindh to Balochistan derailed four bogies of the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express train coming from Peshawar and damaged the track.

The Jaffar Express had also escaped attacks in Nasirabad in October and November last year. Similar attempts also occurred during the two months in Kachhi and Sindh’s Shikarpur district.



from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/Q3ptArJ
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ministers rubbish notion that proposed retirement age extension to favour ‘one particular institution’

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday rubbished the notion that a proposed extension in the retirement age was to favour “one particular institution”, adding that the move would be implemented across the board if approved. The rebuttal comes in the wake of media reports claiming that the government was mulling changes to the Constitution to fix the tenure of the chief justice . Currently, judges of the Supreme Court, including the chief justice, retire after attaining the age of superannuation, i.e. 65 years, as stipulated in Article 179 of the Constitution. While giving his opinion recently on the reports of the constitutional amendment, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had said he “will not vehemently turn down the proposals related to the tenure of the chief justice”. Addressing the issue during a press conference in Islamabad today along since Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and the law minister, Attaullah said the extension in the retirement age was “a proposal to a...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Republican primary race for president in 2024

The Republican primary race for president in 2024 is already shaping up to be a competitive one. There are a number of high-profile candidates who have already announced their intention to run, and more are expected to join the field in the coming months. The frontrunner for the nomination is former President Donald Trump. Trump has been teasing a 2024 run for months, and he has a large and loyal following among Republican voters. However, he is also a polarizing figure, and his candidacy could alienate some moderate Republicans. Another potential contender for the nomination is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has been praised by many conservatives for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his opposition to vaccine mandates. He is also seen as a rising star in the Republican Party. Other potential candidates include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Senator Tim Scott. Pence is a more traditional Republican who could appeal to moderate vote...
1 comment
Read more

In pictures: Grief in Gaza and the loss of a child

In the photo, the woman cradles a child in her arms, balanced on her knee. It is an image that resonates, as ancient as human history. But in a grim inversion of the familiar, we see that the child she holds close is a corpse, wrapped in a shroud. It is a quiet moment of intense grief. The woman wears a headscarf and her head is bowed. We cannot see who she is nor can we learn anything about the child — not even if it is a boy or girl. Palestinian woman Inas Abu Maamar, 36, embraces the body of her 5-year-old niece Saly, who was killed in an Israeli strike, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 17, 2023. The child is one of many who have lost their lives on both sides in the Israel-Hamas war. Most have names we will never know, whose deaths will spark a lifetime of grief for family members we will never meet. In the 21st century, an average of almost 20 children a day have been killed or maimed in wars around the world, according to Unicef. Reuter...
Post a Comment
Read more