In spite of increasing demands that the response to the Jaffar Express hijack in Balochistan be explained, the government preferred not to say anything in the National Assembly as the Opposition staged a vociferous attack on its action.
In Wednesday's session, the ruling alliance did not touch upon the scandalous episode, which had captured the country.
Opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan vehemently condemned the indecisiveness of the government, whereas major ministers such as Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar chose not to issue any official comments regarding the issue, according to local media.
The crisis ensued after Baloch Liberation Army's (BLA) Majeed Brigade militants carried out a large-scale attack on the Jaffar Express in Bolan district, resulting in an extended standoff with the Pakistani military. The crisis finally came to an end on Wednesday evening, over 24 hours later.
The operation was successfully carried out, and the 346 hostages were rescued safely, and around 50 attackers were killed, according to military sources.
"The operation has been completed, and the sector is secure. All the hostages have been released. A total of 346 people were rescued—168 last night and 178 today. Fifty terrorists were eliminated," a security source confirmed.
Authorities also revealed that women and children had been used by the attackers as human shields throughout the siege.
The train, traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, had more than 400 passengers on board when it was taken over by BLA militants. Nonetheless, with the seriousness of the situation, the federal Cabinet did not act with much urgency to tackle the crisis.
Omar Ayub Khan had demanded during the session of the National Assembly that normal proceedings be suspended to permit a debate on the hijacking. But the PPP's Abdul Qadir Patel, who was presiding over the session since the Speaker and Deputy Speaker were absent, turned down the request and went ahead with the normal Question Hour as planned.
This action prompted an angry walkout by PTI legislators, who chanted slogans in protest before leaving, said a report in Dawn.
As soon as Question Hour was over, the PTI members reappeared, and Khan seized the moment to lash out at the government's complacency.
"Balochistan is burning, and the government is behaving as if nothing has occurred," he said.
He had denounced treasury members for holding frivolous discussions throughout the session, arguing it laid bare their disdain for the terrorist threat.
Khan also asked for the release of various years-old reports such as those from the Hamoodur Rehman Commission report on the 1971 War, the Abbottabad Commission, and inquiries into attacks like the Salala checkpoint attack and the 2014 Army Public School massacre in Peshawar.
Terming the Jaffar Express hijacking "a colossal intelligence failure," he wondered how such a large number of militants were able to plan and conduct the attack during daytime without being discovered.
He regretted that soldiers and officers suffered most of the security failures, while intelligence agencies were more intent on targeting PTI activists than hunting down terrorists.
Khan claimed there were 13 spy agencies functioning within Pakistan. These agencies' principal agenda, in his opinion, was harassing the Opposition leaders rather than eliminating militancy. Balochistan authorities, Khan also accused, favored taking action against Mahmood Achakzai, Akhtar Mengal, and Mahrang Baloch while ignoring increasing insurgent menace. Khan then asserted that the government had so far made Balochistan's 37 districts "no-go zones" and that militancy was being intensified by letting down the military force.
Expanding on his critique of political matters, Khan also criticized the policies of the government, questioning its claims about curbing inflation and normalizing prices.
Earlier in the session, tensions were ratcheted up further as Opposition and coalition partner lawmakers grew frustrated over the lack of participation by key ministers, signaling growing discontent within the National Assembly.
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