Survivors Recall ‘Doomsday Scenes’ After Militants Hijack Train in Pakistan’s Balochistan

Passengers freed from the Jaffer Express have described terrifying moments during the train hijacking by armed militants in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.

“We held our breath throughout the firing, not knowing what would happen next,” said Ishaq Noor, one of the passengers, in an interview with the BBC.

He was among more than 400 passengers traveling from Quetta to Peshawar on Tuesday, when the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launched an attack, taking multiple hostages. The train driver was among several reported injured.

Rescue Operations Underway

According to military sources, 155 passengers have been freed and 27 militants killed, though these figures remain unverified by independent sources. Rescue operations are ongoing.

Authorities have deployed helicopters and special forces personnel, while hundreds of troops have been sent to rescue the remaining passengers.

However, the BLA has issued a warning, stating that any attempt to rescue hostages will result in "severe consequences."

Escaping the Nightmare

More than a dozen rescued passengers were taken to hospital for treatment. Reports citing security officials indicate that some militants may have left the train, taking an unknown number of passengers into the surrounding mountainous region.

Officials revealed that at least 100 of those onboard were security personnel.

Among those who managed to escape late Tuesday was Muhammad Ashraf, who was traveling from Quetta to Lahore.

"There was a lot of fear among the passengers. It was a scene of doomsday," he said.
Ashraf and a group of passengers walked for nearly four hours to the nearest railway station, with some carrying weaker travelers on their shoulders.

"We reached the station with great difficulty, because we were exhausted and there were children and women with us," he added.

‘If a Bullet Comes, It Will Hit Us First’

Mr. Noor, who was traveling with his wife and two children, described the initial explosion on the train as so intense that one of his children fell from the seat.

"My wife and I each held one child close, thinking if a bullet comes our way, it will hit us first and not the children," he recalled.

Mushtaq Muhammad, who was in the third carriage, said the attack was "unforgettable", with passengers panicked and terrified.

He noted that the attackers spoke Balochi and their leader repeatedly ordered them to keep an eye on security personnel to ensure none escaped.

The militants released some local residents from Balochistan, along with women, children, and elderly passengers on Tuesday evening, Noor added.

"I was freed when I told them I was from Turbat, Balochistan, and they saw that I had children and women with me," he said.

Uncertainty Over Remaining Hostages

It remains unclear how many passengers are still being held hostage.

Pakistan’s security forces have launched a large-scale rescue operation, with hundreds of troops, helicopters, and special forces personnel deployed.

On Wednesday, the BBC witnessed dozens of wooden coffins being loaded at Quetta railway station. A railway official stated that the coffins were being transported to retrieve possible casualties.

BLA’s Long-Standing Insurgency

The BLA has been waging a decades-long insurgency in Balochistan, seeking greater autonomy and control over the region’s rich natural resources.

The Pakistani military and security forces have conducted counterinsurgency operations, but human rights groups claim these have led to enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings, allegations denied by authorities.

Pakistan, along with several Western nations, including the UK and the US, has designated the BLA as a terrorist organization.

International Condemnation

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan expressed deep concern over the hijacking, urging stakeholders to work toward a peaceful resolution.

"We strongly urge all relevant stakeholders to forge an urgent rights-based, pro-people consensus on the issues faced by citizens in Balochistan and to find a peaceful, political solution," the organization stated.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also strongly condemned the attack, calling for the immediate release of remaining hostages.

A Crisis Unfolding

As Pakistan's military continues its operation, the hostage crisis remains unresolved, with the fate of many passengers still unknown.

With the BLA escalating its insurgency, security concerns in Balochistan are at an all-time high, placing further pressure on Pakistan’s government and military to act decisively.

Indian Americans Optimistic About India’s Future but Wary of Trump’s Impact on US-India Relations

A new survey reveals that while Indian Americans remain optimistic about India’s trajectory, they harbor deep concerns about US-India relations under a potential second Donald Trump administration.

The 2024 Indian-American Survey, conducted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and YouGov in October, explored Indian-American political views, particularly in light of the 2024 elections in both the US and India.

While US-India ties have strengthened over recent years, tensions have flared at times, including over a US federal indictment of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and allegations of a Delhi-backed assassination plot on American soil.

With over five million Indian-origin residents in the United States, the survey sought to understand their perceptions of US-India relations, their views on Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and their outlook on India post-2024 elections.

Trump vs. Biden: Who is Better for US-India Relations?

The survey found that Indian Americans generally favor Biden’s handling of US-India relations over Trump’s.

A hypothetical Kamala Harris presidency was also seen as more beneficial for bilateral ties than a second Trump term.
Partisan differences played a key role:
- 66% of Indian-American Republicans believe Trump was better for US-India relations.
- Only 8% of Indian-American Democrats agree.
- 50% of Indian-American Democrats support Biden’s handling of US-India ties, while just 15% of Republicans do.

Since the majority of Indian Americans lean Democratic, Biden holds an overall edge in their perception of US-India relations.

Despite their February meeting at the White House, where both Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised each other,

Trump criticized India’s trade tariffs, calling them a "big problem."

Impact of Alleged ‘Murder-for-Hire’ Plot on Perceptions

The alleged Indian plot to assassinate a separatist in the US has not widely registered among Indian Americans—only 50% of respondents were aware of it.

In October, the US charged a former Indian intelligence officer with attempted murder and money laundering for allegedly plotting to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US-based advocate for an independent Sikh state, Khalistan.

This marked the first time the Indian government was directly implicated in an alleged assassination attempt on foreign soil.

India has denied wrongdoing, stating that it is cooperating with the US investigation. A January panel in India recommended legal action against an unnamed individual believed to be the former intelligence officer.

The survey found that a narrow majority of Indian Americans disapproved of such actions, stating that India would not be justified in targeting dissidents abroad, and that the US would be equally unjustified if roles were reversed.

Israel-Palestine Conflict: A Partisan Divide

Indian Americans remain divided along party lines on the Israel-Palestine conflict:

Democrats express greater sympathy for Palestinians.
Republicans are more pro-Israel.

Four in ten respondents believe Biden has been too pro-Israel in handling the war.

The conflict escalated after Hamas' attack on Israel in October 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages. Most have since been released through ceasefire agreements.

In response, Israel’s military launched an offensive that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Ceasefire negotiations, whose first phase ended on March 1, are expected to resume in Qatar soon.

Indian Americans’ View on India’s Future

The survey found increasing optimism about India’s direction:

47% believe India is on the right path, a 10 percentage point increase from four years ago.
The same percentage (47%) approves of Modi’s leadership.
Four in ten respondents believe that India’s 2024 elections, where Modi’s party lost its outright majority, have made the country more democratic.

“This is a case of 'where you sit is where you stand,'” said political analyst Milan Vaishnav.

According to Vaishnav, Indian Americans tend to hold more liberal views on US policy issues but are often more conservative when it comes to India.

For instance:

Muslim Indian Americans—a minority in both the US and India—hold consistently liberal views.
Hindu Indian Americans, who belong to the majority in India but are a minority in the US, hold liberal views in the US but are more conservative regarding India.

"A person's majority or minority status plays a key role in shaping their political views," Vaishnav noted.

Trump's Popularity Among Indian Americans: Then vs. Now

If Indian Americans now view Trump as a threat to US-India ties, why did they enthusiastically embrace him during his first term, particularly at events like 'Howdy Modi!'?

Vaishnav cautioned against generalizing based on one event:

Over 50,000 Indian Americans attended 'Howdy Modi!' in Houston in 2019, but their primary motivation was to see Modi, not Trump.
Trump was added to the event at a later stage.

Despite Indian Americans overwhelmingly leaning Democratic, a sizeable minority (estimated at 30% in 2024) continues to support Trump and the Republican Party.

However, their commitment to the Democratic Party has weakened:

47% now identify as Democrats, down from 56% in 2020.

Indonesian TikToker Jailed for Nearly Three Years Over Blasphemy Allegations

An Indonesian social media influencer has been sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison after being found guilty of spreading hate speech against Christianity.

Ratu Thalisa, a Muslim transgender woman with nearly 450,000 followers on TikTok, was convicted by a court in North Sumatra province over comments made to an image of Jesus Christ during a livestream.

The Incident

Thalisa’s remarks came after a viewer suggested she cut her hair to appear more masculine. In response, during a livestream on October 2, 2024, she held up a picture of Jesus Christ and said:

“You should not look like a woman. You should cut your hair so that you will look like his father.”

Her comments led to five Christian groups filing blasphemy complaints with the Indonesian police, resulting in her arrest on October 8.

On Monday, a court in Medan, Sumatra ruled that Thalisa had violated Indonesia’s Electronic Information and Transactions (EIT) Law, arguing that her statements disrupted "public order" and "religious harmony".

Human Rights Concerns Over the Verdict

The sentence has been widely condemned by human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, which described the ruling as “a shocking attack on freedom of expression”.

"The Indonesian authorities should not use the EIT law to punish people for comments made on social media," said Usman Hamid, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia.

“While Indonesia should prohibit the advocacy of religious hatred that incites discrimination, hostility, or violence, Thalisa’s remarks do not reach that threshold,” he added.

Hamid called for Thalisa’s conviction to be overturned and demanded her immediate release. He also urged authorities to repeal or significantly amend sections of the EIT Law that criminalize immorality, defamation, and hate speech.

Controversial EIT Law and Its Impact on Free Speech

First introduced in 2008 and amended in 2016, the EIT Law was originally intended to protect individuals online but has faced strong criticism from human rights and press organizations for its overreach and misuse.

According to Amnesty International, between 2019 and 2024, at least 560 individuals were charged under the law for alleged violations related to defamation, hate speech, and immorality, with 421 convictions.

Many of those convicted have been social media influencers, highlighting concerns about restrictions on digital expression.

Other Blasphemy Cases Under the EIT Law

In September 2023, a Muslim woman was sentenced to two years in prison for blaspheming Islam after posting a TikTok video where she recited an Islamic phrase before eating pork.
In 2024, another TikToker was detained for blasphemy after posting a quiz asking children which animals can read the Quran.

Religious Minorities and the EIT Law

While Indonesia is home to diverse religious communities, including Buddhists, Christians, and Hindus, the majority of blasphemy cases have involved religious minorities allegedly insulting Islam.

Thalisa’s case, however, is unusual, as a Muslim woman was convicted for allegedly offending Christianity.

Prosecutors had originally sought a sentence of more than four years, and they have already appealed Monday’s verdict. Thalisa has been given seven days to appeal her sentence.

In addition to her prison term, the court ordered Thalisa to pay a fine of approximately $6,200.

Global Reactions and Calls for Reform

The Human Rights Commission of Indonesia expressed concern over Thalisa’s sentencing, emphasizing the need for reforms to the EIT Law to prevent its misuse against free speech.

The United Nations has also urged Indonesia to reconsider its approach to blasphemy laws, warning that such cases undermine human rights and freedom of expression.

Despite these concerns, the Indonesian government has shown little indication of revising the controversial law.

As Thalisa prepares for a possible appeal, her case highlights ongoing tensions between religious sensitivities and digital free speech in Indonesia.