By Asif Naveed
ISKLAMABAD; At least twelve people were killed and 27 others sustained injuries in a suicide explosion outside the district and sessions court building in Islamabad’s G-11 area on Tuesday, officials confirmed.
A senior Islamabad police official initially reported the death toll, which was later confirmed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during a media briefing outside the court. He said the blast occurred at 12:39pm and was confirmed to be a suicide attack.
Naqvi stated that the injured were receiving medical treatment, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally contacting the hospitals to oversee care for the victims.
According to the minister, the attacker remained near the court premises for nearly 12 minutes. He initially tried to enter the court building but, after failing, detonated himself near a police vehicle.
“Our first priority is to identify the attacker,” Naqvi said, adding that investigators were examining the incident from multiple angles. “This is not an ordinary bombing — it happened right in Islamabad. We will identify those responsible within hours, and no one involved will be spared.”
Footage circulating on social media showed flames and thick smoke rising from a charred vehicle behind security barriers.
Eyewitness Rustam Malik, a lawyer present at the scene, told AFP that the explosion caused panic and chaos. “As I parked my car and entered the complex, I heard a loud bang near the gate. People were running everywhere. I saw two dead bodies on the spot, and several vehicles were on fire,” he said.
Political and Official Reactions
President Asif Ali Zardari, in a post on X, expressed condolences to the bereaved families, prayed for the recovery of the injured, and lauded the law enforcement agencies.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif termed the attack a “wake-up call.” He said, “We are in a state of war. Anyone who believes the Pakistan Army is only fighting in the border regions of Afghanistan and Balochistan must realise that today’s attack in Islamabad shows the threat is nationwide.”
He added that, given the current environment, expecting fruitful negotiations with the Kabul government would be unrealistic.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar also condemned the attack, expressing sorrow over the loss of lives. He said, “Suicide bombers and terrorists have no religion — they are enemies of humanity.”
Lanjar announced that Sindh police had been placed on high alert, with orders to strengthen checking and surveillance at all entry and exit points, highways, and crime-prone areas, while intelligence coordination was to be intensified.
