A suspected suicide bombing struck the federal capital on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and injuring 36 others outside the courthouse building.
Officials said a faction of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, had claimed responsibility for the suicide attack. The explosive used in the attack weighed roughly four to five kilograms and was packed with ball bearings.
Police said a lone bomber blew himself up at the main entrance to the complex, located in the G-11 sector, after failing in repeated attempts to enter the premises, where hundreds of litigants and lawyers were present. The bomber reportedly detonated himself near a police vehicle parked at the location. According to police, initial investigation suggested the bomber entered Islamabad last week and have traveled to the capital from Bannu. A probe is ongoing to identify and locate any potential facilitators.
The injured include four women and four policemen. Following the explosion, authorities suspended court proceedings and evacuated all those present inside.
The Islamabad deputy inspector general (DIG), chief commissioner and forensic team arrived at the site of the explosion shortly after, while the rescue teams and law enforcers shifted the deceased and injured to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital, where an emergency was declared. Doctors at PIMS said 18 of the injured had minor injuries and were released after treatment. However, four people remain in critical condition.
In a visit to the site of the incident, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said efforts were underway to identify the suspected bomber. He noted the attack occurred a day after the Wana Cadet College was targeted in South Waziristan. “The attacker identified in the Wana attack was Afghan,” he said, emphasizing the Afghan Taliban regime’s failure to prevent terrorism against Pakistan from its soil.
On Monday, militants attempted to infiltrate into the Cadet College, with a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) saying security forces had eliminated two attackers and trapped three inside. A sanitization operation is underway to neutralize the remaining terrorists.
The minister noted Pakistan had repeatedly provided Kabul with evidence of the militants sheltering on its soil. He said Islamabad’s position was unchanged that it would take all necessary measures to protect the lives and livelihoods of Pakistanis.
“If the attackers are found to be of a foreign country, we will not hesitate to take action,” he warned.
Authorities have identified several people killed in the incident, including Iftikhar Ali, Sajjad Shah, Tariq Khan, Subhanuddin, Saqlain, Safdar Ali, Shah Mohammad, Zubair Ghuman, Abdullah and Iftikhar Khan. The wounded include Assistant Sub-Inspector Arshad, Head Constable Mohammad Imran and Constable Imran Javed, as well as Nusrat Zafran, Shamsha Khizer, Shumaila and Bushra Bibi.
Following the incident, authorities have ramped up security across Pakistan, particularly in major cities. Naqvi said he had directed police to ensure no vehicle was permitted to enter the federal capital without an e-tag after two weeks.
Condemnations
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the bombing, expressing deep condolences with the bereaved families, praying for the early recovery of the injured, and paying tribute to law enforcement agencies.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif similarly described the bombing as a heinous act of terror orchestrated by Indian-backed proxies operating from Afghan soil. “My heartfelt sympathies, as well as those of the entire nation, are with the families of the martyrs,” read a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. It said he had prayed for the swift recovery of the injured and directed authorities concerned to ensure the best possible medical treatment for them.
“These attacks are a continuation of India’s state-sponsored terrorism aimed at destabilizing Pakistan,” he said, noting the bombing coincided with an assault on a Cadet College in Wana. “No condemnation is enough for these attacks being carried out from Afghan soil under Indian patronage,” he said, vowing that the war against terrorism would continue until every last terrorist was eliminated.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, in a post on X, declared that Pakistan is in a state of war. He warned against believing the fight is limited to the Pak-Afghan border or remote parts of Balochistan. “This is a war that belongs to all of Pakistan,” he said, regretting that expecting any success in dialogue with the Afghan Taliban regime was futile. “The Afghan authorities can stop terrorism, but bringing this war to Islamabad is their message,” he said, maintaining Islamabad has the “full strength” to respond to Kabul’s message.
Pakistan has been in the midst of a terror resurgence, particularly in the provinces of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban regime returned to power in 2021. In the first eight months of 2025, KP recorded over 600 terror incidents, resulting in the martyrdom of at least 138 civilians and 79 police personnel.
Pakistan has persistently urged the Afghan Taliban regime to prevent its soil from being used to launch attacks inside Pakistan to no avail.