Quetta in a Limbo
Quetta is a city of contrasts! It's surrounded by mountains, shaped by a long history, and known with orchards and dry fruits. It is one of the highest major cities in Pakistan at about 1680 metres above sea level. It is also the capital of Balochistan province and a significant gateway to Afghanistan. It has been close to the historical Bolan Pass, the route that has connected South Asia with regions beyond for centuries. But there's another reality to this beauty.
Peace has never been a lasting reality for many in Quetta. The city has experienced years of violence, unrest, militant attacks, and uncertainty. Security is not simply a subject discussed on television. It becomes a part of life. Simply going to school or college can bring a silent terror for students. Will I come back home safe? What will occur on the way? To a person in other areas, these questions may seem extreme. Quetta they can be a part of normal thinking.
I remember my college days in 2016. I studied at Islamia College, where the gate was often crowded with students and other people. The security situation in Quetta during those years was extremely precarious. Every time I saw the college gate, one thing always came to my mind, what if a bomb explodes here? Where would we go? There was a lack of clarity. Yet, hope that things will get better. We believed that perhaps the next year would be safer. Maybe the city would get past the violence. Maybe, we could consider our studies and professions without having to constantly consider our security.
That hope is still unfulfilled years later. The recent violence demonstrates this. Coordinated militant attacks were made on several locations in Balochistan, including Quetta, on 31st January, 2026. Explosions and gunfire were reported in various parts of the city. The objective was to attack police and security installations. Emergency was declared, movement within parts of the city restricted. It was reported that the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attacks. Those who were not attacked were also affected. The terror had gripped the city.
The scene was described on that same day by an AP report in the words of a resident of Quetta: “panic and fear have spread across the city.” This is what insecurity does. It does not stay in the area of an explosion. It infiltrates residences, classrooms, markets and public areas. Transportation has also become a part of this insecurity. The Jaffar Express, that runs from Quetta to other parts of Pakistan, has been repeatedly attacked. On 7th October 2025, several coaches of the train were derailed and passengers were injured by an explosion near the Sindh-Balochistan border. At least 24 people were killed and roughly 70 injured in a bomb attack on a train in Quetta reports Reuters. The BLA took responsibility for the attack.
The attacks on the railway tracks are particularly significant for a city that already has to deal with distance and isolation. They threaten one of the few connections linking Quetta with the rest of the country. And the violence has spread into 2026. The question is: How long can a city remain in between hope and fear? Quetta is a city of conflict. It's a city of students, shopkeepers, teachers, doctors, farmers, artists, families. Its people want ordinary things. They want to study. They want to work. They desire to go outside. They don't want to sit in a market and wonder, "What's going to happen next? They don't want to sit in a market and wonder, "What's going to happen next?
The potential of Balochistan is enormous. It possesses mineral resources, agriculture and gemstones and is geographically positioned to connect Pakistan with Afghanistan, Iran and the rest of the world. This geography is a good thing for Quetta. It may emerge as a formidable hub for trade and education and region connectivity. Development needs more than roads and infrastructure, though. It requires security. It requires trust. It asks people to trust that in the future it will be safer than the present.
Quetta therefore remains in a limbo. A city that has great potential and yet lives in a state of uncertainty. It has beautiful mountains. It still has orchards that yield fruit. Its streets are still alive. For many, however, the answer is still as short as possible: When will it finally be safe to live in Quetta?