ISLAMABAD: A deadly suicide blast shook Islamabad on Tuesday afternoon when an attacker detonated explosives outside the G-11 District Judicial Complex, killing at least 12 people, including lawyers and police personnel, and injuring dozens more in a rare but devastating strike on the capital. The explosion, which occurred around 12:39pm, sent shockwaves across the city. The powerful blast shattered windows of nearby buildings, set vehicles ablaze, and left the street littered with debris and human remains. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and chaos as emergency teams rushed to the site amid clouds of smoke and dust.
Initial investigations suggest the suicide bomber’s target was the courthouse itself. Officials said the attacker tried to enter the judicial complex to cause mass casualties, but alert police personnel intercepted him, forcing the assailant to detonate the explosives near a police vehicle parked outside. According to police sources, the bomber’s severed head was recovered from the site, while forensic teams were dispatched immediately to gather evidence. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the preliminary findings, saying the attacker failed to breach the security perimeter and blew himself up close to law enforcement personnel instead. “Our officers prevented a much larger tragedy,” Naqvi stated.
Following the attack, an emergency was declared at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where most of the injured were taken. Dr Mubashir Daha, spokesperson for PIMS, told reporters that 36 wounded individuals were received at the hospital. “Eighteen were discharged after receiving first aid, while four remain in critical condition,” he said. The hospital’s executive director is personally overseeing the emergency operations, he added. Among the martyred, ten have been identified so far, including Advocate Zubair Ghumman and Head Constable Muhammad Imran. Officials confirmed that eight other victims were civilians caught in the blast. The injured included several police officials — Constable Imran Javed of Kohsar Police Station, ASI Irshad of Ramna Police Station, Constable Muhammad Ramzan of Balochistan Police — and two lawyers, Mazhar and Haider Khan.
Authorities have obtained CCTV footage showing the suicide bomber approaching the court premises. Security forces cordoned off the area soon after the explosion, collecting forensic samples and evidence for analysis. Interior Minister Naqvi emphasized that identifying the attacker and uncovering the network behind the assault remains the government’s top priority. He revealed that early evidence points toward possible links to Afghanistan, warning that “any foreign element found involved will not be forgiven.”
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives. In a statement from the President’s Secretariat, Zardari said the attack was an attempt to destabilize Pakistan. He paid tribute to the police and law enforcement officers who laid down their lives and reiterated that terrorists were enemies of the nation’s peace and progress.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the bombing as a heinous act of terror orchestrated by Indian-backed proxies operating from Afghan soil. He prayed for the elevation of ranks of the martyrs and the swift recovery of the injured, directing authorities to provide the best medical care to victims. In a strongly worded statement, Shehbaz accused India of using cross-border terrorism to destabilize Pakistan. “Targeting innocent citizens is an abhorrent and cowardly act,” he said, adding that the attacks were part of a broader campaign of state-sponsored terrorism aimed at undermining regional stability.
The premier revealed that the same network behind the Islamabad bombing had also struck in Wana, targeting schoolchildren. “These attacks from Afghan soil under Indian patronage expose the ugly face of Indian terrorism,” he asserted. Shehbaz vowed that Pakistan would continue its war against terrorism until the last militant is eliminated. “The blood of innocent Pakistanis will not go in vain,” he declared. “India must end its vile policy of sponsoring terrorism in the region.”
The prime minister urged the international community to take notice of what he termed India’s destabilizing role in South Asia. He said the attacks were yet another attempt to weaken Pakistan’s resolve, but insisted the country would stand united against the threat. “These cowardly acts cannot shake our determination,” he said. “Pakistan will root out terrorism from every corner of its land.”
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