World knows the epicentre of terror: India slams Pakistan over train hijack claim

India on Friday dismissed Pakistan's terrorism allegations, stating the world knows the true "epicentre of global terrorism". This came after Islamabad accused India of backing terror but did not directly link it to the Balochistan train attack that killed 21.

In Short

• India strongly rejected Pakistan's 'sponsoring terrorism' allegations
• Said Pakistan shouldn't point fingers at others for internal problems
• Pakistan blamed Afghanistan for Balochistan train hijacking

India on Friday strongly rejected Pakistan's accusations of "sponsoring terrorism," asserting that the world is well aware of where the true "epicentre of global terrorism" lies. The response came after Islamabad blamed India for supporting terror activities but stopped short of directly linking it to the recent Balochistan train attack that left 21 passengers dead.

"We strongly reject the baseless allegations made by Pakistan. The whole world knows where the epicentre of global terrorism lies," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "Pakistan should look inwards instead of pointing fingers and shifting the blame for its own internal problems and failures onto others."

Pakistan's allegations followed a deadly attack on the Jaffar Express on Tuesday, which led to a prolonged hostage situation lasting over 24 hours. Though Pakistan has often blamed India for backing Baloch separatist groups, this time, its Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan pointed to Afghanistan as the source of the attack's coordination.

"There is no shift in our policy. And again, the facts have not changed. India is involved in sponsoring terrorism against Pakistan," Khan insisted. "What I was referring to was, in this particular incident, we have evidence of calls being traced to Afghanistan. This is what I said."

Khan further accused India of running a "global assassination campaign" and destabilising its neighbouring countries. He also took aim at Indian media, claiming it was "glorifying the BLA," a reference to the Balochistan Liberation Army, which Pakistan considers a terrorist organisation.

The Pakistani spokesperson also called on Afghanistan to take responsibility, alleging that the attackers were in direct contact with "Afghanistan-based planners throughout the incident." He urged Kabul to ensure that its territory is not used by militant groups targeting Pakistan.

"We urge Afghanistan to hold the 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 said.

The Taliban swiftly rejected Pakistan's claims. Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi dismissed any involvement, urging Pakistan to focus on solving its own security challenges rather than making "irresponsible remarks."

Beyond terrorism-related accusations, Pakistan also reiterated its stance on Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, confirming that the March 31 deadline for their departure remained unchanged.

"We had a special provision regarding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC). They were also given some extraordinary relaxation. It was a step that the government of Pakistan took, by allowing them to stay, but it was not an indefinite leave to stay. Now the government has decided that people with ACC should leave the country by March 31. Beyond that, they will be deemed illegal residents in Pakistan, and the law will take its course," Khan said.