Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday confirmed that the mastermind of the Islamabad suicide blast, associated with the banned Daesh, is in the custody of Pakistan along with the attacker’s facilitators.
Addressing a presser in Islamabad, he said that the mastermind and the facilitators of the deadly attack were arrested in raids conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Peshawar and Nowshera immediately after the blast.
His comments come in the wake of Friday’s deadly attack at an Islamabad imambargah during prayers, which left at least 33 people martyred and dozens injured.
The suicide bomber opened fire before detonating himself at the entrance of the imambargah in the federal capital’s Tarlai area.
“I am telling you again with clarity that their [terrorist outfits] entire funding is being provided by India. All targets being provided to them by India,” Naqvi said during his presser.
He added that the KP Counter Terrorism Department has arrested all individuals linked to the attack, adding that the CTD and other agencies worked together as a team during the operations.
During the raids, he said that a KP policeman was martyred and a few others were injured.
“We have evidence of how the attacker was trained and how he was brought here. The planning and training were carried out in Afghanistan,” the interior minister said.
Naqvi said that India was funding terrorist networks, including Daesh, adding that payments to each militant have increased from $500 to $1,500.
“India has tripled its terror budget after facing a defeat in May,” he said.
However, Naqvi vowed to stop terrorism even “if terrorists increase their budget tenfold”.
The interior minister stressed that Pakistan must treat all militants equally. “Enemy is enemy. Do not categorise those fighting against Pakistan. If the world does not raise its voice, the consequences will be severe,” he warned.
He noted that social media platforms were notified to close accounts used by terrorists. “If platforms do not act, other options will be taken.”
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A worshipper at the imambargah in Islamabad where dozens of people were martyred in a suicide blast on Friday described an “extremely powerful” explosion ripping through the building just after prayer started.
Muhammad Kazim, 52, told AFP he arrived at the Imambargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra shortly after 1:00pm (0800 GMT) on Friday and took up a place around seven or eight rows from the Imam.
“During the first bow of the Namaz (prayer ritual), we heard gunfire,” he told AFP outside the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) hospital, where many of the wounded were brought for treatment.
“And while we were still in the bowing position, an explosion occurred,” he said.
Kazim — from Gilgit Baltistan who currently lives in Islamabad — escaped unharmed, but accompanied his wounded friend to the Pims hospital for treatment.
“It was unclear whether it was a suicide bombing, but the explosion was extremely powerful and caused numerous casualties,” Kazim said.
“Debris fell from the roof, and windows were shattered,” he added. “When I got outside, many bodies were scattered… Many people lost their lives.”
Another worshipper, Imran Mahmood, described a gunfight between the suicide bomber, a possible accomplice and volunteer security personnel at the imambargah.
“The suicide attacker was trying to move forward, but one of our injured volunteers fired at him from behind, hitting him in the thigh,” Mahmood, in his fifties, told AFP.
“He fell but got up again. Another man accompanying him opened fire on our volunteers,” he said, adding the attacker “then jumped onto the gate and detonated the explosives”.
By nightfall on Friday, the death toll stood at 31, with 169 more wounded.
The attack was the deadliest in the capital since September 2008, when 60 people were killed in a suicide truck bomb blast that destroyed part of the five-star Marriott hotel.
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At least 31 people were martyred and dozens others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside an imambargah during Friday prayers in Islamabad’s Tarlai area, confirmed officials.
Police sources said that terrorists linked to the “Fitna al-Khawarij” targeted the Imambargah Khadijat-ul-Kubra in the federal capital.
Security forces are conducting operations against the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban-Pakistan (TTP) and recently gunned down 24 terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy militant outfit.
The suicide bomber detonated himself after being stopped at the entrance of the mosque, eyewitnesses told Geo News, adding that the terrorists first opened fired and then resorted to the bombing.
The main door is at least 30 metres away from the imambargah’s gate. When the terrorist reached the main gate, the religious facility’s guards tried to stop him, following which an exchange of fire took place. He then ran inside at least 20 metres, and as the prayer was underway, he blew himself up.
There are homes nearby this imambargah. The suicide bomber used such heavy explosives that the windowpanes of these residential units sustained damage. Security guards also received injuries during the firing. The windows of the three-storey imambargah have also broken.
Following the tragic blast, law enforcers — including those from Pakistan Army troops and Rangers — cordoned off the area, and rescue personnel began a rescue operation. The bodies and injured people are being taken to medical facilities — and the Pims administration has said that it cannot cater to more patients.
Due to the pressure on facilities in the capital, the injured are also being shifted to hospitals in other parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon said that an emergency has been imposed at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Polyclinic Hospital and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) hospital.
The statement added that assistant commissioners have been deployed at various hospitals to supervise the treatment and medical care of the injured.
The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) administration said that at least 18 bodies were brought to the hospital, while more than 78 injured were also received.
Authorities at Rawalpindi’s Benazir Bhutto Hospital said four injured were brought to the hospital, where one of them later died during treatment.
Condolences pour in
President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep grief and sorrow over the blast and offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the blast and prayed for their patience.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the bombing. He expressed deep sorrow and grief over the martyrdoms in the blast and extended his sympathies to the bereaved families.
Separately, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, expressed deep grief over the blast and extended condolences and sympathy to the families of the martyrs, while praying for the early recovery of the injured.
He strongly condemned the “brutal and cowardly” attack and said that such a terrorist incident in the federal capital was not only a serious failure to protect human lives but also raised major questions over the performance of the administration.
The opposition leader said targeting places of worship was a direct assault on humanity, religion and social values and could not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Meanwhile, Iran Ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri, condemned the terrorist attack and extended “sincere and deepest condolences” to the government and the people of Pakistan, particularly to the bereaved families.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their loved ones, and we pray for the safe and speedy recovery of the injured,” he wrote on X.
Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also said that he strongly condemns, in the strongest terms, the tragic explosion. “My heart is deeply grieved by the loss of precious lives in this cowardly act.”
Former finance minister Miftah Ismail termed the incident “absolutely horrendous” and wondered how can anyone bomb Friday prayers in a mosque”.
