At least 12 people were killed and more than 20 injured in an explosion outside the judicial complex in Islamabad on Tuesday, officials at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) said.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the blast was a suicide attack. He told reporters the bomber had attempted to enter the district courthouse but was unable to get inside before detonating the explosives.
President Asif Ali Zardari condemned what he called a “suicide blast,” while police said they were examining all possible angles. No group has claimed responsibility so far.
A security source quoted by CNN alleged that militants “linked to the Afghan Taliban and India” may have carried out the attack, though authorities have not publicly presented evidence.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the country was in a “state of war” and that the attack should serve as a “wake-up call,” warning that Pakistan would not “refrain” from responding if attacks originating from Afghan soil resumed.
Earlier this week, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi rejected Pakistan’s allegations, saying Islamabad’s demands during recent talks were “unreasonable and impractical.”
Speaking in Kabul, he said Pakistan had asked Afghanistan to guarantee that no militant incidents would occur on Pakistani soil. “Are we responsible for Pakistan’s security? Do we have police or soldiers there?” Muttaqi said. He added that Pakistan was blaming Afghanistan for its internal security problems and insisted Afghan territory “would not be used against anyone.”
The blast comes days after peace talks between Islamabad and Kabul collapsed in Istanbul following months of cross-border clashes — the worst fighting between the neighbours in years.
The Afghan Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs separately issued a statement expressing “deep sorrow and condemnation” over the Islamabad attack but did not respond to Pakistan’s accusations.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened across Islamabad, with police cordoning off entry points and increasing patrols around government offices. Investigations are ongoing.