Train hijackers’ calls traced to Afghanistan: FO – Pakistan

• Foreign Office says India involved in sponsoring terrorism against Pakistan
• No indication from US about possibility of travel ban

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said on Thursday that intelligence reports and operational findings had confirmed that the perpetrators of the attack on the Jaffar Express remained in touch with their handlers in Afghanistan throughout the incident.

During the weekly briefing, FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan was asked whether Pakistan had shifted its stance when it said that Afghanistan, and not India, was behind the terrorist attacks on Pakistan.

In response, Mr Khan clarified that there was “no shift” in policy. “The facts have not changed. India is involved in sponsoring terrorism against Pakistan. What I was referring to was, in this particular incident, we have evidence of calls being traced to Afghanistan. This is what I said,” he said.

“We know how India has been trying to destabilise its neighbouring countries,” he said, adding that India has been running a global assassination campaign.

“Regarding dialogue with Afghan­istan, we do not have any high-level interaction, but embassies of both countries are working, and diplomatic channels are active,” he said.

He said terrorist elements like the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other organisations enjoyed sanctuaries in Afghanistan. “This remains a stumbling block, a serious problem on the way of promoting deeper friendly relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

“Pakistan has repeatedly asked the interim Afghan government to deny the use of its soil for terrorist groups like BLA for their attacks against Pakistan,” Mr Khan said.

“We urge Afghanistan to hold perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and cooperate with the government of Pakistan to bring all those who are concerned with this attack, including the real sponsors of terrorism, to justice,” he added.

His remarks echoed an earlier statement from the military’s media wing, which revealed that militant leaders based in Afghanistan had remained in contact with the attackers throughout the 36-hour siege via satellite phones.

However, the Afghan Taliban administration rejected these allegations.

“We categorically reject baseless allegations by the Pakistani army spokesman linking the attack on a passenger train in Balochistan province with Afghanistan,” said Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi.

“We urge the Pakistani side to focus on resolving their own security and internal problems instead of making such irresponsible remarks.”

Travel ban

The FO spokesman also said that Pakistan had not received any indication from the United States regarding an impending travel ban on its citizens while dismissing reports in this regard as speculation.

Mr Khan said Pakistan had sought clarification from Washington following reports that the Trump administration was considering imposing entry restrictions on Pakistani nationals.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our mission in Washington are in close contact with the relevant US authorities to get any details in this regard. So far, we have not been given any indication of such a ban on Pakistani nationals,” Mr Khan said while downplaying media reports in this regard as “speculative”.

The statement comes as the US prepares to implement a new travel ban. The move follows President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14161, titled “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” signed on Jan 20, 2025.

Diplomatic deportation

The government has launched an investigation into the deportation of its ambassador to Turkmenistan, Ahsan Wagan, from the United States, the spokesman said, calling the incident a matter of “serious concern”.

“Because of US laws, they did not share the exact reasons or the charges for which he was put through the secondary screening,” Mr Khan said.

“The government has taken a very serious note of the incident and, on the instructions of the prime minister and deputy prime minister, necessary action has been initiated and investigations are underway,” he added

Mr Wagan was denied entry and deported from Los Angeles International Airport on March 8 despite holding a valid US visa and complete travel documents. He was travelling for a private visit when US authorities stopped him, citing an unspecified immigration objection.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2025