Minister says foreign-backed networks involved in suicide blast

News Desk

Islamabad: State Minister for Interior Senator Talal Chaudhry on Friday said that India-sponsored and Afghanistan-based terrorist networks were behind the suicide bombing at an Imambargah in Islamabad that claimed 31 lives and injured more than 100 people.

Speaking to reporters at the attack site in Islamabad’s Tarlai area, alongside the Inspector General of Police Islamabad and the Chairman of the Capital Development Authority, the minister said the incident followed a familiar pattern seen in recent terrorist attacks across the country.

He said the suicide blast occurred at 1:42 pm, and the city administration received alerts within minutes. Rescue teams from multiple departments reached the scene within 10 to 12 minutes, while a medical emergency was immediately declared in Islamabad’s hospitals. Senior officials, including the Commissioner Islamabad, IG Islamabad, and Deputy Commissioner, rushed to the site.

Chaudhry said that on the directives of the prime minister and the interior minister, he remained at the hospital to personally oversee rescue and relief operations.

He confirmed that the suicide bomber had been identified. Although the attacker was not an Afghan national, Chaudhry said confirmed travel history to Afghanistan and forensic evidence recovered from the scene pointed to a known operational pattern.

“These same networks, sponsored by India and facilitated from Afghan soil, have been involved in similar attacks across Pakistan,” he said. “They operate in two forms—those who misuse religion by growing beards, and others like the BLA who weaponize ethnicity. Both are funded in dollars, not ideology.”

He added that militants had recently attempted what they termed a “surprise” in Balochistan but suffered heavy setbacks.

The minister said terrorists had crossed all limits of cowardice by repeatedly targeting soft civilian spaces, including markets, schools, banks, mosques, and imambargahs. He disclosed that among the 31 martyrs was a cousin of the IG Islamabad, who despite personal loss continued to perform his duties in uniform.

“These martyrs—regardless of sect—are our people, our brothers, our Pakistanis,” he said.

Chaudhry stressed that Pakistan’s resolve against terrorism remained uniform across all regions, including Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, adding that implementation of the National Action Plan was continuing without any hesitation or leniency.

He said the interior minister had also conducted a detailed visit to the Imambargah and reviewed progress of the investigation. The entire operation—from hospital response to investigative coordination—was being monitored at the highest level.

He assured that within 72 hours, a comprehensive report identifying all handlers and individuals involved in the attack would be submitted to the prime minister. “We are fighting this war to win it, and we are winning,” he said. “How can anyone use the name of religion to kill people standing before Allah? No Muslim can do this.”

Responding to questions about arrests, Chaudhry said significant progress had been made but details could not yet be shared. “From the handler of the previous Islamabad attack to all those involved, everyone has been caught and dealt with according to the law. Arrests in this case will happen very soon, possibly within 72 hours or earlier.”

On the issue of illegal immigrants, he said operations were underway nationwide. “No illegal immigrant—Afghan or otherwise—will be allowed to stay without valid documentation. More than two million illegal immigrants have already left Pakistan respectfully, and this policy will continue.”

Addressing questions about Basant celebrations, the minister said Pakistan would not allow terrorists to dictate its social and cultural life. “If we stop festivals, sports, or delegations, that is exactly what terrorists want. We will not give them that victory,” he said.

He added that Islamabad was moving towards becoming the country’s first smart city, with strengthened systems and enhanced technological security. He revealed that the attacker had been intercepted at the entrance of the Imambargah, opened fire, and caused casualties but was unable to penetrate beyond the first row before detonating.

On school security, particularly in areas lacking boundary walls, Chaudhry said it was a collective responsibility of the Ministry of Education, ICT administration, and other stakeholders. He noted that AI-based surveillance and intelligence had already helped prevent several incidents and that all previous murder and suicide cases in Islamabad had been successfully resolved.

Concluding, he said, “Pakistan will continue to live, celebrate, and move forward. Our bodies may break, but Pakistan will not break.”

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi strongly condemned the suicide blast, terming it a cowardly and inhumane act. In a statement, he said an attack on a place of worship was a heinous crime against humanity and reflected extreme brutality and intolerance.

He expressed deep grief over the loss of lives, extended condolences to the bereaved families, and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. The KP government, he said, stood shoulder to shoulder with the victims’ families and reaffirmed its resolve to defeat terrorism.

Separately, Federal Minister for Water Resources Mian Muhammad Mueen Wattoo also strongly condemned the attack, calling it a heinous act against peace, tolerance, and national unity.

In his statement, he said targeting a place of worship was a grave crime and stressed that terrorism had no connection with any religion or sect. He extended condolences to the families of the martyrs, prayed for the injured, and reiterated that such cowardly acts would not weaken the nation’s resolve to eliminate terrorism and uphold peace.

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