Pakistan tells UN it has evidence of ‘regional adversaries’ sponsoring Jaffar Express attack

Pakistan has told the United Nations it possesses credible evidence that last month’s deadly attack on the Jaffer Express passenger train was externally sponsored by a regional adversary. The assault left at least 30 civilians dead and dozens more taken hostage in Balochistan’s remote terrain before a security operation ended the siege.

Speaking at the launch of the United Nations’ Victims of Terrorism Association Network, Jawad Ajmal, Counsellor at Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN, said that the attack was not an isolated act of terror but a deliberate act supported from outside the country.

He urged the international community to recognize the role of state-sponsored terrorism and the growing threat it poses to regional and global peace.

“Pakistan has credible evidence that the Jaffer Express attack, carried out by the Baloch Liberation Army, received external sponsorship,” Ajmal told the forum.

“The international community must do more to support the survivors and families of terrorism victims whose lives are forever changed by such acts.”

Ajmal called for unified, non-discriminatory efforts to prevent future attacks and stressed the need for accountability for both the perpetrators and their backers.

“If we are to build a future for victims, we must rise above narrow political agendas and confront the root causes of terrorism,” he said. “Despite global counterterrorism frameworks, the threat continues to grow, and more innocent lives are being lost.”

The Pakistani envoy reiterated his country’s firm condemnation of all forms of terrorism, including right-wing extremism, Islamophobia, ethnic and linguistic violence, and most notably, state-sponsored terrorism.

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He called for a universally accepted definition of terrorism that also captures emerging patterns, including the spread of extremist content on digital platforms and the dark web.

He also underscored the urgency of countering disinformation campaigns designed to incite xenophobia, hatred, and violence, particularly those targeting Muslim communities.

Ajmal emphasised that the global community has a legal and moral responsibility to act decisively and impartially against terrorism in all its forms. “The more space we allow terrorism to grow, the more victims we will continue to mourn,” he said.

Referring to the recent attack in Pahalgam in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists, Ajmal expressed condolences to the victims’ families and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. He noted that Pakistan had joined other UN Security Council members in condemning the attack.

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Highlighting Pakistan’s own long and painful struggle against terrorism, Ajmal said the country had lost more than 80,000 lives in the past two decades.

“Despite this staggering toll, the resilience of the Pakistani people remains unshaken,” he said. “We pay tribute to the families of our law enforcement and armed forces who have laid down their lives in defence of our nation.”