Pakistan accuses India of sponsoring terrorism in Balochistan

Pakistan’s Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chowdhury, the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), has accused India of being the main sponsor behind terrorism in Balochistan. 

He made these allegations during a press conference held on Friday.

The issue came to the forefront after an attack on the Jafar Express train in Balochistan earlier this week. 

The press conference, which focused on the attack, saw Lieutenant General Chowdhury placing full blame on India for the incident.

"India is the main sponsor of terrorism in Balochistan. The most recent attack on the Jafar Express was also carried out with their support," he stated firmly. 

His comments were directed towards Balochistan’s Chief Minister, Sarfaraz Bugti, who was present at the event. 

Chowdhury pointedly said, "We understand that the main sponsor of this (attack) is your eastern neighbor," clearly referring to India.

The attack took place on Tuesday when armed members of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked the Jafar Express near a tunnel in Balochistan‍‍`s Bolan district. 

The militants took control of the moving train, bombing it and firing at passengers. 

Over 400 passengers were taken hostage, including many security personnel.

Fortunately, more than 300 hostages were freed in the rescue operation. 

However, the operation came with a heavy toll: 33 militants were killed, along with 26 hostages. 

The operation was deemed a success in the end, but the incident highlighted the ongoing violence in the region.

Following the attack, Pakistan‍‍`s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Shafkat Ali Khan, spoke out, claiming that the assault had been organized by an external country. 

While Khan did not directly name India, he made it clear that Pakistan had not abandoned its long-standing stance of blaming India for the activities of groups like the BLA. 

He said, "We understand that the main sponsor of this violence is India, and our accusations remain valid."

India wasted no time in responding to Pakistan‍‍`s accusations. A statement from India‍‍`s Ministry of External Affairs rejected Pakistan‍‍`s claims, stating, 

"We firmly reject Pakistan’s unfounded accusations. The entire world knows where the center of global terrorism is. Rather than blaming others, Pakistan should focus on addressing its own internal issues and failures."

The situation remains tense, with both sides exchanging sharp words. 

This accusation is just the latest in a long-standing feud, raising concerns about further escalation in the region.