On March 14, 2025, India sharply rebuked Pakistan after the latter hinted at New Delhi’s involvement in a deadly train hijacking by Baloch rebels, escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

The Jaffar Express, traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, was seized by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in a 30-hour siege that left 21 hostages and four security personnel dead. Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan alleged the attack was orchestrated from abroad, pointing to BLA communications traced to Afghanistan, while doubling down on claims of India "sponsoring terrorism."

India’s Ministry of External Affairs fired back, dismissing the accusations as “baseless.” “The whole world knows where the epicenter of global terrorism lies,” the statement read, urging Pakistan to introspect rather than deflect blame for its internal strife. The ministry echoed New Delhi’s long-standing charge that Islamabad harbors terrorists, a stance reinforced by past incidents like the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

The hijacking underscores rising violence in Balochistan, Pakistan’s mineral-rich yet restive southwest, where the BLA and other separatist groups have intensified their fight for independence since the 1947 Partition. Recent months have seen bolder rebel attacks on security forces and Chinese-funded projects, alongside allegations of state-enforced disappearances fueling local unrest. Pakistan insists India stokes this insurgency, a claim it reiterated despite lacking direct evidence tying New Delhi to the train siege.

Analysts see this as a continuation of the India-Pakistan blame game, with Balochistan as a volatile flashpoint. While Khan denied any policy shift, his nod to Afghanistan-based handlers adds a layer of complexity. For now, India stands firm, framing Pakistan’s accusations as a distraction from its own failures, leaving the region on edge amid a deepening diplomatic rift.