A suicide attack outside a major court complex in Pakistan’s capital has left at least 12 dead and over 30 injured, with Pakistani officials pointing fingers at India amid escalating regional tensions.
The Attack
A suicide bomber detonated explosives at the entrance of the District Judicial Complex in Islamabad on Tuesday afternoon, shortly after 12:30 pm local time. The complex, located on Srinagar Highway and opened just three years ago, is a busy hub where thousands of litigants and lawyers conduct daily business.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the death toll of 12, while hospitals reported more than 30 injured, with at least five in critical condition.
Accusations Without Evidence
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif immediately blamed India for what he called an act of “state terrorism,” though no evidence was provided to support the claim. Sharif also linked India to a separate attack at a cadet college in South Waziristan, where fighters took hundreds of cadets hostage a day earlier.
“Both attacks are the worst examples of Indian state terrorism in the region. It is time for the world to condemn such nefarious conspiracies of India,” Sharif stated.
The accusations came just one day after a car bombing in New Delhi killed 13 people, adding to tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Who Claimed Responsibility?
Jamaa-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the Islamabad attack. Notably, the TTP itself denied any involvement.
Pakistan has faced numerous TTP attacks in recent years, resulting in hundreds of casualties among security forces and civilians. The country has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harboring the TTP—allegations that Kabul denies.
Witnesses Describe Horror
Lawyers present at the scene described chaotic and traumatic scenes. Raja Aleem Abbasi, a member of the Islamabad Bar Council, was in the main courtyard when the blast occurred.
“It was a deafening blast, and complete chaos and panic set in,” Abbasi recalled, adding that he saw the bomber’s severed head land just feet away from him. He estimated roughly 2,000 people were on the premises at the time.
Another lawyer, Mushahid Dawar, had left moments before the explosion but returned after hearing the blast, only to find bodies scattered on the road.
A Tense Regional Context
The attack marks a significant escalation of violence in Islamabad, which has remained relatively peaceful in recent years. The last major incident in the capital occurred in December 2022 when a vehicle attack on a police post killed one officer.
The bombing coincided with several international conferences in Islamabad and sporting events nearby, including a cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, located just 10 kilometers from the attack site.
Adding to the volatile situation, Pakistan was simultaneously dealing with the hostage crisis at Cadet College in Wana, where an explosives-laden vehicle had rammed the campus entrance. Security forces reported rescuing at least 300 cadets, with operations continuing for those still held. Another bombing in Dera Ismail Khan that same day injured 14 security personnel.
The incidents unfold against a backdrop of strained Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, with the two countries having engaged in a week of cross-border clashes last month before Qatar and Turkey brokered a ceasefire in Doha on October 19.
