24 hours left for Pakistan to exchange prisoners, warns BLA

BALOCHISTAN (Pakistan): The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has issued a stern warning to the Pakistani state, stating that it has only 24 hours left to exchange prisoners, following BLA’s continued control over the Jaffar Express and its more than 200 hostages.

In a press release issued today, the BLA maintained that if no practical progress is made on the prisoner swap within this final window, all hostages will be tried in the Baloch National Court.

Initially, the BLA had given Pakistan a 48-hour ultimatum to negotiate a prisoner exchange. However, with Pakistan’s refusal to act and its delay tactics, the BLA now asserts that the window for negotiation is rapidly closing. In the press release, the BLA accused the Pakistani government of hypocrisy and a lack of seriousness about securing the safety of its own military personnel.

In the press release, BLA emphasised that the individuals in their custody, including intelligence agents, police, and paramilitary forces, are directly involved in what the group terms “state terrorism” and “war crimes” against the Baloch people.

According to the BLA, these detainees are responsible for extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and the exploitation of Balochistan’s national resources.

#BREAKING: First video of Jaffar Express Train hijacking released by Baloch Liberation Army in Bolan of Balochistan. 214 Pakistani soldiers have been abducted. Over 40 Pakistani Army soldiers killed till now. pic.twitter.com/Hte6Xm3hpK

— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) March 12, 2025

According to the press release by BLA, “The occupying state’s indifference to the lives of its personnel only proves their disregard for human rights and truth. If Pakistan does not take practical steps within the remaining 24 hours, we will present the hostages before the Baloch National Court”.

The BLA made it clear that the court proceedings would be “prompt, impartial, and transparent”, and if the accused were found guilty, they would be punished according to Baloch national laws. The BLA also emphasized that the consequences for the hostages would worsen with each passing hour after the ultimatum expires, with the group threatening to execute five hostages for every hour of delay past the deadline.

According to the release, the Baloch Liberation Army is offering the Pakistani state a final chance to discard propaganda, recognize the harsh realities on the ground, confront the truth instead of creating false narratives, and take concrete actions for a prisoner exchange. Failure to do so will result in irreversible decisions by the Baloch National Resistance, with each passing moment intensifying the consequences for the enemy. (ANI)