QUETTA: The Pakistan Railways once again suspended train service on Friday for Peshawar, Karachi and Chaman due to security concerns. The train service was restored after a five-day suspension.
“All passenger train services from Quetta to other parts of the country and within the province have been stopped in view of the prevailing law and order situation,” a senior official of the Pakistan Railways said here on Friday.
He said that Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express, Karachi-bound Bolan Mail and Quetta-Chaman passenger trains have been suspended for an indefinite period.
“The decision has been taken as a precautionary measure amid security concerns,” he said.
Jaffar Express has come under attack several times over the past year. Last November, it had escaped an armed attack in the Bolan Pass area of Kachhi district, Balochistan. The same month it also escaped a bomb attack in Balochistan’s Nasirabad district.
In October 2025, at least seven people were injured after a blast on a railway track derailed four bogies of the Jaffar Express in Shikarpur district of Sindh. The same month, it escaped a rocket attack in the Notal area of Nasirabad district.
In September 2025, 12 people, including women and children, were injured when the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express was targeted in a bomb blast in Mastung
On March 11, 2025, terrorists hijacked the Peshawar-bound passenger train, carrying 440 passengers. They had opened fire on the train and held the passengers hostage, prompting security forces to initiate an operation that lasted two days.
Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2026