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Balochistan’s representative at the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) and European Union (EU) Mehran Marri, has rejected Pakistan’s official account of the deadly train hostage crisis, calling for an international fact-finding mission to uncover the truth. While Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has claimed that rescue operations have concluded with 21 hostages and four soldiers dead, Marri insists the crisis is far from over and alleges that Pakistan’s military is concealing the real extent of casualties.
The attack, carried out by separatist militants, targeted the Jaffar Express, which was transporting around 500 passengers through Balochistan province on Tuesday. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility, stating they had derailed the train, killed 50 security personnel, and taken 214 passengers, including active-duty soldiers, as hostages, Reuters reported. However, these claims remain unverified.
Conflicting Death Toll
Sharif announced that 33 Baloch insurgents were neutralized in the rescue operation. However, eyewitness reports paint a grimmer picture, with some claiming that more than 50 hostages were killed by the insurgents. The deployment of over 30 ambulances and 100 coffins in Quetta has further fueled suspicions that the actual death toll may be higher than reported.
Marri, speaking exclusively to the NewsX, dismissed Pakistan’s official figures, stating, “We should not believe anything the Pakistani Army says. They rely on lies from the beginning.” He maintained that the operation is still ongoing and that Baloch fighters continue to hold Pakistani soldiers hostage.
Pakistan’s Version vs. Baloch Fighters’ Claims
Marri took to social media just hours before the interview to demand an international fact-finding mission to assess the situation in Balochistan, particularly in relation to the train hijacking. “Pakistan generally lives in denial,” he asserted. “They have cordoned off miles around the incident site, and no independent journalist is allowed access. The reality and the truth will only be revealed through an impartial investigation.”
The situation in Baluchistan is at a very critical juncture. The International community shouldn’t only rely on the Information provided by Pakistan Army, but also send its own Fact Finding Teams and unbiased International Journalists to Baluchistan to assess the situation in…
— Mehran Marri (@MehranMarri) March 13, 2025
According to Pakistani authorities, the insurgents indiscriminately killed hostages, but Marri denies that any innocent civilians were harmed. “Women and children were released in the first phase. Only Pakistani soldiers remained as prisoners of war.”
He further accused Pakistan’s military leadership of deliberately sacrificing their own soldiers to gain global sympathy. “The Pakistani military was willing to sacrifice 200 of their own soldiers in captivity,” Marri said. “They treat them as expendable. Maybe Beijing told them to do it to garner international support.”
Pakistani Army Runs the Show, Not the Government
Marri went on to challenge the Pakistani government’s credibility, asserting that Prime Minister Sharif had to wait 30 hours before receiving instructions from Rawalpindi on how to respond. “The Pakistani Army runs the show; politicians are just puppets,” he said. “There is no real journalism in Pakistan anymore. All information is controlled.”
When asked about accusations that Baloch militants receive support from Afghanistan, Marri dismissed them as distractions. “This is a war of independence. Who handles whom is irrelevant. The focus should be on Pakistan’s illegal occupation, enforced disappearances, and human rights violations.”
The Baloch insurgents, according to Marri, are not interested in negotiating with the Pakistani establishment. “If we wanted to sit at the table, we would have joined their government, made money, and become puppets. This is about independence, dignity, and sovereignty,” he said.
He emphasized that Baloch fighters were acting in accordance with international law, treating captured soldiers as prisoners of war rather than executing them. He accused the Pakistani Army of refusing to acknowledge them as such. “They gave a 48-hour ultimatum for the release of political prisoners, but Pakistan ignored it.”
Pakistan Vows Crackdown, Mehran Marri Dismisses It
The Pakistani government has vowed to crack down on the insurgents, accusing them of terrorism and murder. Marri scoffed at the statement, arguing that Pakistan itself lacks legitimate governance. “There is no government in Pakistan—only a military that uses civilians as mouthpieces,” he declared.
Marri also issued a direct appeal to the international community, particularly to the United States, India, and China, urging them to intervene in what he described as a genocide. He compared the Baloch struggle to the independence movements of East Timor and Bangladesh, arguing that the world must recognize their right to self-determination.
“We’ve been crying out for 75 years. Pakistan sells its services as mercenaries to the highest bidder, whether it be the U.S., China, or others. That’s why the world ignores us. But this genocide cannot continue forever.”
Watch Full Interview
