ISLAMABAD: A powerful suicide explosion outside Islamabad’s district courts on Tuesday left at least 12 people martyred and 27 others injured, confirmed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Addressing the media, the minister said the attack occurred at 12:39pm, targeting a police vehicle after the bomber failed to enter the courthouse premises.
“The attacker tried to enter the kachehri but, when he couldn’t, he blew himself up near a police van,” Naqvi stated, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed authorities to ensure the best medical care for the injured.
Naqvi said that identifying the attacker was the government’s top priority.
“Those behind the attack will be exposed soon. If foreign involvement is confirmed, it will not be forgiven,” he warned.
Bomber Stayed at Site for 15 Minutes
The minister revealed that the suicide bomber had been loitering near the site for 10 to 15 minutes, waiting for an opportunity to enter the courthouse. “He detonated the explosives as soon as a police vehicle arrived,” Naqvi said.
The interior minister later visited the site and directed a swift completion of the search operation. Inspector General Islamabad Police Ali Nasir Rizvi briefed him about the initial investigation.
Police officials earlier reported that the explosion occurred in a car parked outside the court building, causing chaos in the vicinity.
Eyewitnesses said lawyers and petitioners were among the injured. The kacheri building was evacuated through the back entrance, and court proceedings were temporarily suspended.
Senior officials, including the Islamabad DIG, chief commissioner, and forensic teams, arrived at the site shortly after the blast. Rescue teams moved the injured and deceased to nearby hospitals, while an emergency was declared at PIMS Hospital.
Security sources later confirmed that the head of the suicide bomber was recovered from the scene. They added that initial intelligence suggested the involvement of India-backed terrorists and Afghan Taliban-linked militants operating under the banner of Fitna al-Khawarij.
Wana Cadet College Attack Connection
The Islamabad blast came just a day after terrorists attacked the Wana Cadet College in South Waziristan. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces eliminated two attackers and trapped three others during the operation.
Naqvi confirmed that three people were martyred in the Wana attack and that the terrorists had planned to take hostages but failed due to a quick military response.
He revealed that the attackers were in contact with handlers in Afghanistan and reiterated that Pakistan had provided evidence of terrorist training camps operating across the border.
“If these terrorists are not stopped, Pakistan will take care of them ourselves,” he warned.
Rising Terror Threat
Pakistan continues to face a surge in terrorism, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
During the first eight months of 2025, KP alone recorded over 600 terror incidents, resulting in the martyrdom of at least 138 civilians and 79 police personnel.
In October 2025, cross-border clashes intensified after Afghan Taliban fighters and affiliated groups launched attacks along the border. Pakistan retaliated with precision strikes in Kandahar and Kabul, killing more than 200 militants and destroying multiple strongholds.
However, 23 Pakistani soldiers also embraced martyrdom during the operations.
Both nations later agreed to a ceasefire, brokered through diplomatic channels, but the Islamabad attack has once again raised concerns about cross-border terrorism and regional security.
