India rubbishes Pak claim of involvement in Balochistan unrest

India has firmly rejected Pakistan’s allegations linking New Delhi to recent violence in Balochistan, including a deadly train hijacking by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).

The latest accusations come after a senior Pakistani official said India was involved in fostering instability in the restive region, where a long-standing separatist movement continues to rage.

In a pointed response, India dismissed the allegations as unfounded, emphasizing Pakistan’s role as a "global terrorism epicenter."

The Ministry of External Affairs issued a strong statement, urging Pakistan to stop deflecting blame for its internal crises and instead focus on addressing its own failures.

“We strongly reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan. The whole world knows where the epicenter of global terrorism lies. Pakistan should look inwards instead of pointing fingers and shifting the blame for its own internal problems and failures onto others,” the statement read.

The tensions erupted following the hijacking of the Jaffar Express by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). The 30-hour siege left 21 hostages and four security personnel dead.

While Pakistani officials stopped short of directly accusing India, they claimed the attack had been orchestrated from abroad, with the BLA allegedly in contact with foreign handlers in Afghanistan during the assault.

Despite this, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson, Shafqat Ali Khan, reiterated Islamabad's long-standing accusations against India, accusing it of sponsoring terrorism aimed at destabilizing the region. Khan also stated that the facts had not changed, despite recent claims of foreign involvement in the hijacking.

Balochistan, a vast and mineral-rich region in Pakistan, has long been the site of armed insurgencies. Since the 1947 Partition, Baloch separatists have fought for independence, and recent months have seen a surge in violence.

Rebel groups have intensified their attacks, targeting Pakistani security forces and Chinese-funded infrastructure. The situation has been compounded by widespread allegations of forced disappearances at the hands of state authorities, exacerbating tensions in the already volatile region.