SUKKUR – An explosion on Monday targeted the Jaffar Express near Sultanpur, close to Shikarpur, causing three coaches of the train to derail and injuring at least one passenger. The train was traveling from Peshawar to Quetta when the blast occurred, leading to immediate suspension of operations on the affected railway line.
Divisional Superintendent Railways Sukkur, Jamshaid Alam, confirmed that emergency rescue and technical teams were dispatched from Sukkur to conduct repairs. It may take up to five hours to restore the track and resume services.
Passengers were left stranded, facing significant hardship in the aftermath. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took immediate notice of the incident, ordering medical aid for the injured and launching a full investigation. He called the attack an act against the state and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
This is not the first such incident. Just last month, five bogies of the Jaffar Express derailed after a blast near Jacobabad. In March, militants from the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) ambushed the train in Bolan, holding over 440 passengers hostage. That standoff resulted in the deaths of 26 passengers and four security personnel, with 33 militants killed in a rescue operation by Pakistan’s military.
Security agencies are investigating the Shikarpur blast as part of broader concerns over recurring threats to railway infrastructure in Balochistan and Sindh.
