QUETTA: Train services in Balochistan were restored on Thursday after a five-day suspension, as the security situation eased following a series of counter-terrorism operations in the province, officials said.
However, mobile data services remained suspended for a sixth consecutive day in Quetta and several other districts.
Pakistan Railways’ Quetta division spokesperson Muhammad Kashif confirmed that rail services within Balochistan and to other provinces had resumed. He said the Jaffar Express, operating on the Quetta–Peshawar route, and the Bolan Mail bound for Karachi—both suspended since January 31—were now running again.
Kashif added that operations of the Quetta–Chaman passenger train had also been restored, with the service departing on Thursday according to schedule.
Meanwhile, mobile internet services continued to remain unavailable in the provincial capital and parts of the province. Balochistan Additional Chief Secretary Hamza Shafqaat told Dawn that mobile data services were still suspended in Quetta but were expected to be restored by midnight.
Mobile internet was also reportedly down in Nushki, Sibi and Mastung, while residents of Kalat, Khuzdar, Awaran, Panjgur and Turbat have faced intermittent or prolonged disruptions due to security concerns.
The suspension of transport and communication services followed a spate of militant attacks in the province. After several days of mop-up and clearance operations, the military earlier announced the successful conclusion of Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1 in Balochistan.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces killed 216 terrorists during the operation. The statement said 36 civilians, including women and children, and 22 personnel of the security forces and law enforcement agencies were martyred.
The ISPR said a broader series of intelligence-based operations were conducted across multiple areas to dismantle terrorist sleeper cells through sustained combing and sanitisation efforts.
Railway infrastructure in Balochistan has frequently been targeted in militant attacks. On January 31, police said suspected explosive material was found on a railway track in Nasirabad district, prompting the suspension of services.
Earlier, on the night of January 26, a blast on the railway track linking Sindh and Balochistan derailed four bogies of the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express coming from Peshawar and damaged the track. The same train had narrowly escaped attacks in Nasirabad in October and November last year, while similar attempts were reported in Kachhi and Shikarpur districts during the same period.
