Dr.Naveed Elahi

At least 25 people were killed and more than sixty others injured after a bomb exploded at Quetta railway station in Balochistan province on 9 November. The explosion happened near Gate No 2 as nearly 100 passengers waited on a platform at about 8:45am local time (03:45 GMT), for a train to Peshawar.

According to police report the explosion was caused by a suicide bomber carrying 6-8kg of explosives. The dead included seven military personnel, two railway employees and the rest were passengers from different areas.

The proscribed separatist militant group, the Balochistan Liberation Army, claimed responsibility for this suicide attack.

The selection of this target is significant. Quetta Railway Station, located in the heart of the city on Zarghoon Road, is not only a hub of public transportation, serving as a major station on the Rohri-Chaman Railway Line and the eastern terminal of the Quetta-Taftan Railway Line, but it is also a historic site, built 137 years ago in 1887. The terrorists have demonstrated their capability to penetrate deep into the city and operate ruthlessly.

The most glaring aspect of this gruesome incident is that despite a recent uptick in deadly attacks in the province, the security arrangements at the Railway Station were extremely poor and inadequate. As per police sources seventeen police personnel are deployed at the two gates in each shift. There are walk-through gates at each gate and metal detectors are also available. The passengers and luggage are scanned and searched. Ironically, according to some reliable sources these walk-through gates and metal detectors are defective. Moreover, women passengers are neither searched nor asked to go through the gates because women police personnel are not available. Burqa clad women can easily carry weapons or explosives inside the station.

Secondly, while the entry gates are staffed by police who check the passengers, the surrounding areas are open from where people can easily come on the platform. Unauthorised people like tik-Tokers, kite-fliers etc. can be seen roaming freely on the platform. They enter from these unmanned entrances. No Sops are available pertaining to the security of the platform. The security checking at the platform is non-existent.  

Apart from the glaring security lapses by the railway police and administration, which allowed the terrorist to easily enter the station and cause significant loss of human life, there is a noticeable shift in the terrorists’ strategy. Previously, the BLA typically targeted security personnel, avoiding attacks in public areas to prevent public backlash. However, over the past three months, it has begun targeting civilians as well. On November 1, 2024, nine people, including five children, were killed in a bomb blast in Mastung district, with 29 others injured. On August 27, 2024, within 24 hours, at least 70 people were killed in six terrorist attacks across Balochistan, including 35 civilians, 14 security personnel, and 21 BLA fighters. In October, 21 mine workers were brutally killed in Dukki. This shift to targeting civilians, or “soft targets,” suggests desperation among BLA militants, likely due to depletion in their ranks, affecting their ability to engage in direct gunfights with security forces.

It is also notable that terrorist acts have increased in the Pashtun areas of Balochistan, indicating possible involvement of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), referred to as Fitna al-Khawarij in these regions. There are signs of collaboration between the TTP and BLA in Balochistan and elsewhere.

Considering above facts and findings a few recommendations are given below to strengthen the fight against the terrorists, enhance security and mitigate future threats in Balochistan and other parts of the country:

• Heads should roll. The senior officials responsible for railway security should be held accountable for the lapses that led to the tragic incident. This accountability is essential to prevent future incidents and signal the gravity of the issue to all involved.
• Conduct a thorough investigation into the specific security failures that allowed a suicide bomber to enter a high-traffic public area. This investigation should identify specific individuals or teams responsible for negligence or oversight, covering gaps in security protocols, malfunctioning equipment, inadequate personnel deployment, and any lapses in procedure.
• Strengthen security protocols and ensure all security equipment at Quetta Railway Station and other key locations including walk-through gates and metal detectors, are fully functional. Regular maintenance checks and updates should be mandatory.
• Deploy additional trained security personnel at critical points, including female officers to screen all passengers, regardless of gender.
• Conduct rigorous security screenings for all passengers, at the entry points and on the platforms, with specialized protocols for high-traffic times to prevent delays.
• Identify and secure all unauthorized access points around the railway stations to prevent unmonitored entry. The recommendations given in the bi-annual security audit reports of the Special Branch must be implemented in letter and spirit.
•  Establish clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for platform security, including restricted access for unauthorized individuals, such as social media influencers and casual visitors.
• Place surveillance cameras strategically around high-risk areas like entry gates, platforms, and open perimeters. Use AI-powered systems to monitor suspicious activity in real-time.
• Police and intelligence agencies should regularly monitor areas where large groups congregate to ensure immediate response capabilities in case of a potential threat.
• Railway Police, Special Branh and Intelligence Bureau should conduct regular risk assessments of the station and surrounding areas to identify vulnerabilities and update response strategies accordingly.
• For sake of readiness to respond periodic emergency response and evacuation drills are essential for both staff and passengers to ensure swift action during an attack.
• Intelligence is the key instrument against terrorism. Enhance information sharing between the railway police, provincial law enforcement, and federal intelligence agencies to preemptively identify potential threats.
• Collaborate with local communities and active people like students and activists to foster intelligence gathering, especially concerning movements and activities of suspected militants.
• The relatives of the civilians killed in terrorist attacks should be motivated to be helpful in the campaign against terrorists.
• Intelligence agencies must have penetration in the terrorist groups and their facilitators. They should increase surveillance and monitoring of extremist networks like the BLA and TTP.
• As the terrorists have changed their modus operandi and are bent upon targeting the civilians too, protective measures should be implemented for soft targets (such as public spaces) to deter militant attacks that aim to spread fear among civilians.
• Conduct awareness campaigns on recognizing suspicious activity and reporting it to authorities. This could be especially helpful in identifying and preventing attacks.
• Encourage citizens to be vigilant and act as a supplementary line of defense by reporting unattended items or suspicious behavior. Security volunteer corps can be raised.
• Balochistan is the weak spot being targeted by the anti-CPEC elements; therefore, partnerships should be developed with neighboring countries, especially China, to track cross-border activities of militant groups.
• It is essential to establish collaboration with international allies like China, Russia, and Türkiye for access to advanced security technologies and intelligence-sharing frameworks that could help combat extremist threats.

This is a war that demands the unified commitment of everyone, leveraging every available resource to ensure victory. Terrorists cannot be permitted to operate indefinitely, threatening the safety of our people and stability of our homeland. To counter this threat effectively, it is essential that all segments of society—government institutions, law enforcement agencies, political leaders, and the public—work together and play their respective roles. It is a collective battle—one we must fight with relentless determination and resolve.

The author is the chief editor of The Strategic Brief