At least 25 bodies retrieved from Pakistan train siege

At least 25 bodies retrieved from Pakistan train siege
Ambulance wait to tranport the coffins of Pakistan's soldiers killed by armed militants who ambushed the train in the remote mountainous area of southwestern Balochistan province, in Mach, on March 13, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 13 March 2025
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At least 25 bodies retrieved from Pakistan train siege

At least 25 bodies retrieved from Pakistan train siege
  • The deceased include 19 military passengers, one police and a railway official
  • Security forces freed more than 340 passengers in a two-day rescue operation 

MACH, Pakistan: The bodies of at least 25 people, including 21 hostages, killed in a train siege by separatist gunmen in Pakistan were retrieved from the site on Thursday ahead of the first funerals, officials said.

Security forces said they freed more than 340 train passengers in a two-day rescue operation that ended late on Wednesday after a separatist group bombed a remote railway track in mountainous southwest Balochistan and stormed a train with around 450 passengers on board.

The assault was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), one of a number of separatist groups that accuse outsiders of plundering natural resources in Balochistan near the borders with Afghanistan and Iran.

Death tolls have varied, with the military saying in an official statement that “21 innocent hostages” were killed by the militants as well as four soldiers in the rescue operation.

A railway official in Balochistan said the bodies of 25 people were transported by train away from the hostage site to the nearby town of Mach on Thursday morning.

“Deceased were identified as 19 military passengers, one police and one railway official, while four bodies are yet to be identified,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

A senior local military official overseeing operations confirmed the details.

An army official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, earlier put the military toll at 28, including 27 off-duty soldiers taken hostage.

Passengers who escaped from the siege said after walking for hours through rugged mountains to reach safety that they saw people being shot dead by militants.

The first funerals are expected to take place on Thursday.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was also expected to visit Balochistan, his office said.

“The Prime Minister expressed grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of security personnel and train passengers during the operation,” it said in a statement.

The BLA released a video of an explosion on the track followed by dozens of militants emerging from hiding places in the mountains to attack the train.

Attacks by separatist groups have soared in the past few years, mostly targeting security forces and ethnic groups from outside the province.

Muhammad Naveed, who managed to escape, told AFP: “They asked us to come out of the train one by one. They separated women and asked them to leave. They also spared elders.”

“They asked us to come outside, saying we will not be harmed. When around 185 people came outside, they chose people and shot them down.”

Babar Masih, a 38-year-old Christian laborer, told AFP on Wednesday he and his family walked for hours through rugged mountains to reach a train that could take them to a makeshift hospital on a railway platform.

“Our women pleaded with them and they spared us,” he said.

“They told us to get out and not look back. As we ran, I noticed many others running alongside us.”

Security forces have been battling a decades-long insurgency in impoverished Balochistan but last year saw a surge in violence in the province compared with 2023, according to the independent Center for Research and Security Studies.


Saudi delegation arrives in Pakistan to review Makkah Route Initiative arrangements

Saudi delegation arrives in Pakistan to review Makkah Route Initiative arrangements
Updated 1 min 21 sec ago
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Saudi delegation arrives in Pakistan to review Makkah Route Initiative arrangements

Saudi delegation arrives in Pakistan to review Makkah Route Initiative arrangements
  • Makkah Route Initiative allows pilgrims to complete immigration processes at departure airports
  • A total of 100 flights from Islamabad, 80 flights from Karachi will operate under the initiative

ISLAMABAD: A 45-member Saudi delegation arrived in Islamabad on Sunday to review arrangements for the Makkah Route Initiative, the religion ministry said as Pakistan gears up for Hajj 2025. 

The Makkah Route Initiative is designed to streamline immigration processes by enabling pilgrims to complete official travel formalities at their departure airports. Initially tested in Islamabad in 2019, the program was later expanded to Karachi, benefitting tens of thousands of Pakistani travelers. 

The annual pilgrimage is expected to take place in June, with nearly 90,000 Pakistanis expected to travel to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme while 23,620 Pakistanis will perform Hajj through private tour operators this year. 

“A 45-member delegation has arrived in Pakistan to review arrangements for the Road to Makkah project,” the religious affairs ministry said in a statement. 

The statement said 50,500 Pakistani pilgrims will travel to Saudi Arabia under the initiative. Of these, 28,000 pilgrims will depart for the Kingdom from Islamabad while the remaining 22,500 will leave from the southern port city of Karachi. 

“A total of 100 flights from Islamabad and 80 flights from Karachi will operate under the Road to Makkah project,” the statement said. 

Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry said counters for pilgrims will be set up at Islamabad and Karachi airports. 

“Under the Road to Makkah project, immigration for Pakistani pilgrims will be completed in Pakistan instead of Saudi Arabia,” the ministry said. 

Pakistan will launch Hajj flight operations on Apr. 29, with the first flight departing from the eastern city of Lahore.

While a precise number of pilgrims for Hajj 2025 is difficult to determine in advance, projections suggest it will be a record-breaking year, with over 2.5 million pilgrims expected.


Pakistan reaches out to regional allies as crisis deepens with India over militant attack

Pakistan reaches out to regional allies as crisis deepens with India over militant attack
Updated 23 min 6 sec ago
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Pakistan reaches out to regional allies as crisis deepens with India over militant attack

Pakistan reaches out to regional allies as crisis deepens with India over militant attack
  • Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar speaks to counterparts in China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, PM contacts Iranian President
  • Ties have plunged since New Delhi accused Islamabad of being behind latest attack in Indian-administered Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani top leaders have reached out to senior government officials in China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Egypt this week as tensions with New Delhi have sharply escalated over a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. 

Relations between the neighbors have plunged to their lowest level for years, at least since 2019, as Delhi accused Islamabad of involvement in the latest attack in a scenic tourist area of Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday in which 26 tourists were killed. Pakistan has denied involvement and says it is ready to take part in a credible and transparent investigation. 

Both sides have announced a flurry of punitive measures to downgrade ties, with India suspending a key water-sharing treaty and Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian planes. There are also mounting fears of India carrying out limited airstrikes or special forces raids close to the border with Pakistan, which would push the nuclear-armed rivals closer toward an all-out war. 

Against this background, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister (FM) Ishaq Dar on Saturday engaged with his counterparts from Egypt, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia to rally diplomatic support. 

“DPM/FM briefed FM Wang Yi on the current regional situation,” a statement from Pakistan’s foreign ministry said after Dar spoke to his Chinese counterpart. “He categorically rejected India’s unilateral and illegal actions, as well as its baseless propaganda against Pakistan.”

The statement said both diplomats reiterated their resolve to uphold regional peace and stability, promote mutual respect, and jointly oppose “unilateralism and hegemonic policies.” 

“They agreed to maintain close communication and coordination at all levels to advance their shared objectives of peace, security, and sustainable development in the region and beyond,” the foreign office said. 

Dar had similar conversations with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye on Saturday. 

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday, saying he would welcome any efforts by Tehran to promote peace between Islamabad and New Delhi. 

According to the latest report in The New York Times, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached out to over a dozen world leaders while diplomats from 100 missions in New Delhi have been called for briefings. 

However, the report said India is not rallying the international community for help to de-escalate tensions with Pakistan. 

“Instead, according to four diplomatic officials aware of the discussions, New Delhi appears to be building a case for military action against its neighbor and archenemy,” the report said. 

After the Pahalgam attack, New Delhi suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan unilaterally, recalled defense staff, announced the closure of the main land Attari-Wagah border crossing with Pakistan, downgraded diplomatic ties and withdrew special visas for Pakistani nationals.

In response, Islamabad ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, canceled visas for Indian nationals, with the exception of Sikh pilgrims, and also announced it was closing the main border crossing from its side.

Pakistan has said any attempt by India to stop the supply of water from the Indus River would be seen as an “act of war” and replied with the “full force of national power.”

According to international news agency AFP, troops from Pakistan and India exchanged fire in disputed Kashmir for a third night in a row on Saturday.

Kashmir has been disputed between India and Pakistan since independence from British rule in 1947. Both rule it in part but claim it in full and have fought two wars over the Himalayan territory.


Pakistan says tensions with India escalating into nuclear conflict a ‘far-fetched analysis’

Pakistan says tensions with India escalating into nuclear conflict a ‘far-fetched analysis’
Updated 27 April 2025
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Pakistan says tensions with India escalating into nuclear conflict a ‘far-fetched analysis’

Pakistan says tensions with India escalating into nuclear conflict a ‘far-fetched analysis’
  • Defense Minister Khawaja Asif says presence of nuclear weapons guarantees India won’t commit any “irresponsible” adventure
  • Tensions between India and Pakistan have spiked after Apr. 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists

ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said this week that the possibility of Pakistan’s tensions with India escalating into a nuclear conflict is a “far-fetched analysis,” saying that both countries are aware of the consequences of such a scenario.

Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors spiked this week after gunmen killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on Apr. 22. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for being involved in the attack and downgraded ties with Pakistan. Islamabad denies New Delhi’s allegations.

Troops from both sides have traded fire along the disputed Kashmir territory for three nights in a row, raising fears of an all-out war breaking out between the two nations who both possess nuclear weapons. 

When asked about the possibility of a “nuclear standoff” between the two countries, Asif told Russia Today channel on Saturday:

“I don’t think so, that’s a very far-fetched analysis that this will ultimately result in a nuclear conflict. I don’t think so, the countries know the consequences of a nuclear conflict.”

The minister said that the presence of nuclear weapons guarantees Pakistan that India will not escalate military tensions. 

“Knowing that we are nuclear powers gives us some sort of security against an irresponsible adventure by India,” he said, describing it as the “only hostile country around us.”

Asif said Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered cooperation to India in holding an international inquiry with the support of several countries into the attack that triggered tensions between the two countries. 

“We are ready to welcome any commission or committee formed to investigate this incident,” the minister said. 

Asif condemned India’s move to release additional flow of water into Pakistan on Saturday, which prompted the government in Pakistan-administered Kashmir to warn residents about potential flooding in its river Jhelum.

The Jhelum river flows from Indian-administered Kashmir into Azad Kashmir and then Pakistan’s Punjab province. India had announced this week it was suspending the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty, which regulates the flow of the six rivers of the Indus Basin between the two nations. 
Suspension of the treaty means India can stop sharing crucial information and data on the release of water from barrages/dams or on flooding.
“I would call it water terrorism,” he said. “Without any warning. So low-lying areas in Pakistan would be flooded, there will be destruction of crops, there will be destruction of populated areas,” he added.

As per the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan has rights to the western rivers— Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab— for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower. India controls the eastern rivers— Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej— for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow.

India can use the western rivers for limited purposes such as power generation and irrigation, without storing or diverting large volumes. Experts, like Hassaan F. Khan from Tufts University, argue that India lacks the infrastructure to divert large amounts of Indus waters.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday warned attempts to reduce or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty would be “responded to with full force.”


Pakistan’s interior minister assures foreign investors of protection amid surging militancy

Pakistan’s interior minister assures foreign investors of protection amid surging militancy
Updated 27 April 2025
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Pakistan’s interior minister assures foreign investors of protection amid surging militancy

Pakistan’s interior minister assures foreign investors of protection amid surging militancy
  • Mohsin Naqvi meets delegation of foreign investors in Islamabad to discuss security measures
  • Militants have targeted foreign investors, particularly Chinese interests, in Pakistan recently

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday assured a delegation of foreign investors that the government would provide them protection, the interior ministry said, amid surging militant attacks in the country. 

Pakistan has been worried by a spike in militancy, especially in its western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan bordering Afghanistan, in recent months. Separatist militants have often targeted Chinese interests in Balochistan and the southern port city of Karachi. 

Naqvi met a delegation of foreign investors on Sunday, the interior ministry said, in a meeting where both sides discussed measures taken to ensure investors’ protection and to secure their investments.

“Pakistan is a safe country for all kinds of investment,” the statement said. “The protection of investors investing in Pakistan is the top priority of our government.”

The interior ministry said Naqvi noted the delegation’s suggestions and assured them of all possible cooperation.

“We have taken serious notice of attacks by certain miscreants, and legal action is being taken against the culprits,” the statement said. 

Naqvi said the government has prepared a strategy to prevent such incidents in the future, Mohsin Naqvi.

The statement said that the delegation thanked Naqvi for his assurances in resolving their concerns.

Pakistan has increasingly attempted to woo foreign investors in recent months as it aims to escape a prolonged economic crisis that has drained the country’s financial resources and triggered a balance of payment crisis. 

Islamabad hosted a minerals summit earlier this month inviting hundreds of foreign investors to tap into Pakistan’s natural resources. 

Pakistan also formed the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in June 2023 to attract foreign investment in priority sectors such as defense, mining and minerals, energy, livestock, agriculture, tourism and others.


Motorway police book popular Pakistani YouTuber ‘Ducky Bhai’ for driving with his feet

Motorway police book popular Pakistani YouTuber ‘Ducky Bhai’ for driving with his feet
Updated 27 April 2025
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Motorway police book popular Pakistani YouTuber ‘Ducky Bhai’ for driving with his feet

Motorway police book popular Pakistani YouTuber ‘Ducky Bhai’ for driving with his feet
  • Saadur Rehman, aka Ducky Bhai, violated traffic rules, endangering his life and that of others, say police
  • Rehman is one of Pakistan’s most prominent YouTubers, having amassed over 8.38 million subscribers 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s motorway police have booked popular YouTuber Saadur Rehman, more commonly known as “Ducky Bhai,” for performing dangerous stunts while driving a car, state-run media reported this week. 

As per a first information report (FIR) registered at the Chakri police station in Pakistan’s eastern city of Rawalpindi on Apr. 19, Rehman uploaded a video from his social media account weeks earlier in which he can be seen driving on the motorway, with his feet resting on the steering wheel while his eyes were closed. 

“The National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) on Saturday initiated legal action against popular YouTuber Saadur Rehman–popularly known as Ducky Bhai–for performing dangerous stunts while driving on the motorway,” state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. 

As per the FIR, a case against Rehman has been registered under Article 67 (driving recklessly or dangerously) of the National Highway Safety Ordinance (NHSO) 2000, and Section 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

APP said the motorway police registered a case against Rehman after his video went viral on social media, drawing “heavy criticism” from users who condemned his “reckless behavior.”

“The video in question clearly shows a driver violating traffic rules and endangering not only his own life but also that of others,” a motorway police spokesperson was quoted as saying by the APP. 

“We have taken serious notice of this violation and are proceeding with legal action.”

The spokesperson added that the video had been geo-located and verified and that appropriate sections of the law were being invoked in the FIR.

Rehman is one of Pakistan’s most popular YouTubers. He has uploaded over 750 videos on the video-sharing platform and has amassed over 8.38 million subscribers.