Train Services Halted in Balochistan After Fresh Intelligence Alerts

Just 24 hours after a tentative restart of services following a week of militant bloodshed, Pakistan Railways suspended all train operations in Balochistan once more on Friday, February 6.

Key routes, such as the Jaffar Express (Quetta–Peshawar) and the Bolan Mail (Quetta–Karachi), were impacted by the decision, which was made late on Thursday night after officials prioritized passenger safety due to new intelligence warnings of possible assaults on railway infrastructure.

Following a series of coordinated attacks on railway tracks, banks, and security outposts under what officials called “Operation Hiroof,” which they attributed to the BLA, rail services were first suspended on January 31. This was followed by a military counteroffensive known as Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1, which officials claim claimed the lives of 216 militants, 22 security personnel, and 36 civilians.

Services were halted again the next day due to what authorities termed as “unavoidable security circumstances,” despite a brief resumption on February 5 under strong paramilitary protection. The transportation of necessary products, especially freight on the Quetta–Zahedan line connecting Pakistan and Iran, has been seriously affected by the frequent suspensions, which have left hundreds of passengers stuck at Quetta and Jacobabad stations.

Mobile data services are still suspended in Quetta and several other districts for the sixth day in a row, and a stringent ban on nighttime travel is still in effect, despite the fact that most highways—aside from some areas of Noshki—have been deemed clear.

The unpredictability underlines the growing interplay between security and economic stability, but officials say limited rail services may tentatively return on some routes by February 12, subject to security clearance.