A Generation Transformed, A State in Decline
The Jaffar Express Hijacking and the Collapse of Old Power
The hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan was more than an isolated act of violence—it was a symptom of a deepening divide between a generation that has evolved beyond the state’s control and a ruling class that has decayed into irrelevance.
This is not just about Balochistan. It is about a fundamental shift happening across Pakistan and beyond. The youth, armed with knowledge, digital access, and a hunger for dignity, are no longer willing to live under outdated systems of oppression. The state, on the other hand, is running in circles, using the same failed playbook of suppression, violence, and propaganda.
We are witnessing two forces moving in opposite directions: the people are ascending, while the state is sinking. The Jaffar Express hijacking was a manifestation of this crisis—one in which the old power structures are no longer able to contain or control a people who refuse to be silenced.
The New Generation: Aware, Connected, and Unyielding
The youth of Balochistan, like their counterparts across Pakistan, have evolved. They are no longer shackled by the illusions that previous generations were forced to accept. Where their elders were fed state narratives through textbooks and censored media, today’s youth have direct access to alternative sources of information.
Social media has torn down the carefully constructed walls that the ruling elite once used to contain the truth. A student in Quetta can watch protests in Gaza live. A young activist in Gwadar can document human rights violations and have the footage seen worldwide. No amount of PEMRA-imposed media blackouts can erase these realities.
This generation has also witnessed how other movements across the world have succeeded. They have seen authoritarian governments fall when people rise together. They understand the power of collective action and know that the age of unquestioned obedience is over.
Look at the protests in Gwadar under the Haq Do Tehreek movement, where thousands of Baloch men and women stood against economic exploitation and militarization. They were not led by foreign influence, as the state loves to claim. They were led by their own awareness, their own suffering, and their own refusal to be ruled as second-class citizens in their own land.
The State: A Fossilized Relic, Desperate to Maintain Control
In contrast, the Pakistani state remains frozen in time, relying on the same tactics that have failed for decades.
Rather than addressing the root causes of discontent—poverty, enforced disappearances, political marginalization—the ruling class opts for military crackdowns and disinformation campaigns. The state's response to unrest in Balochistan is always predictable:
Declare the resistance “foreign-funded.”
Deploy security forces to suppress dissent.
Shut down internet and telecommunications.
Prop up a few handpicked politicians to give the illusion of representation.
This formula worked in the past, but it is crumbling now. The state has lost its monopoly over truth. No amount of staged press conferences or puppet politicians can erase the suffering of the people.
Pakistan’s ruling elite has failed to evolve in every way. While the world moves towards innovation and digital economies, Pakistan remains trapped in a feudal-military-industrial complex where a handful of families and institutions control resources, while the masses are expected to live in perpetual struggle.
The government still treats Balochistan like a colony rather than a province. Billions of dollars flow through the region in the form of CPEC projects and resource extraction, yet the people remain impoverished. The youth of Balochistan see this theft in real-time. They see their land being sold while they remain excluded from the benefits. And they are rejecting it.
The Jaffar Express Hijacking: A Flashpoint in a Larger Struggle
The hijacking of the Jaffar Express is not an isolated event—it is the result of a long history of state negligence and oppression. For decades, the state has treated Balochistan as a security problem rather than a political and economic concern. The cycle of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and military operations has only bred further resentment.
It is not surprising that groups emerge to challenge the state through violence. When all avenues for peaceful resolution are blocked, when voices of reason are silenced, people find other ways to resist.
Yet, the state refuses to learn. It will now likely double down on its usual tactics: more military presence, more curfews, more censorship. But what it fails to grasp is that this will not make the problem disappear—it will only intensify the resistance.
The Crossroads: A Nation’s Fate in the Balance
Pakistan stands at a crossroads. It can continue down the path of repression, further alienating its people and risking complete internal collapse, or it can recognize that the only way forward is through meaningful change.
The new generation does not want war. They want dignity. They want representation. They want a country where they are not treated as suspects in their own homes.
The question is not whether the old system will collapse—it will. The question is what comes after. Will the state continue to self-destruct, or will it finally wake up to the reality that the people have evolved beyond its control?
The hijacking of the Jaffar Express was not just an act of defiance—it was a warning. A warning that the old ways no longer work. A warning that repression has a breaking point. A warning that the people, whether in Balochistan or beyond, will not accept a future dictated by a decaying system.
The people are ready for change. The only question is whether the state is ready to accept it—or whether it will crumble trying to resist the inevitable.