Staff Reporter:
QUETTA: The suspension of train services between Balochistan and other parts of the country has left passengers in distress, especially with Eid-ul-Fitr approaching. The Pakistan Railways halted operations following a terrorist attack on the Jaffer Express in the mountainous Bolan Valley, and the service remains suspended since then.
Muhammad Ashraf, a laborer from Quetta, said he planned to visit his family in Punjab for Eid but now faces difficulties. “Train fares were affordable, but now I have to spend twice as much on bus tickets,” he lamented.
Similarly, Saima Bibi, a schoolteacher from Sibi, expressed concern over the lack of alternatives. “Many middle-class families rely on trains. The suspension has made travel expensive and unsafe on roads,” she said.
Ahmed Jan, a university student in Karachi, was supposed to return home to Quetta. “I had booked a ticket in advance, but now I am stranded. I can’t afford expensive flights,” he shared.
Passengers have urged authorities to restore train services with enhanced security, as the suspension has compounded travel woes for thousands.
