By Abdul Adil
London, The Muslim News: At least 12 people were killed and 36 others injured in a suicide bombing outside a court complex in Pakistan’s capital on Thursday, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed.
The explosion occurred in the parking area of the Judicial Complex after a bomber detonated explosives near a police vehicle. “The attacker targeted the police as he was unable to enter the complex,” Naqvi told reporters at the scene. He said efforts were underway to identify the assailant.
Security sources told Anadolu Agency that most of the victims were civilians. The dead and injured were taken to nearby hospitals, while police and emergency teams cordoned off the area and launched an investigation.
The blast caused widespread panic and damaged several nearby vehicles. According to police, the bomber’s head was recovered from the site, and forensic teams have begun evidence collection. CCTV footage reportedly shows the attacker approaching the complex moments before the explosion.
Authorities declared a security alert across Islamabad, tightening checks at all entry and exit points.
The attack came as several high-profile international events were underway in the capital, including the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference and the 6th Margalla Dialogue. A cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was also being held in nearby Rawalpindi.
President Asif Zardari condemned the bombing, calling for the elimination of “foreign-sponsored terrorists” operating inside Pakistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the attack, alleging Indian involvement. “The time has come for the world to condemn such nefarious conspiracies of India,” he said, claiming the assault was carried out “from Afghan soil with Indian backing.”
India has previously denied such allegations and had no immediate response to Sharif’s latest remarks.
Addressing the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference later in the day, Sharif urged Kabul to curb cross-border militancy. “Afghanistan must understand that lasting peace can only be achieved by reining in the TTP and other terrorist groups operating from its territory,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Afghan interim Foreign Ministry expressed “deep sorrow and condemnation” over the Islamabad attack and another incident in Wana, northwestern Pakistan, where security forces were engaged in an operation against militants holed up inside a building at the Wana Cadet College in South Waziristan.
According to security sources, three people had been killed in that operation, while about 500 cadets housed on the campus remained safe.
[Photo: Security forces take measures at the scene where at least 12 people were killed and several others injured in an explosion outside a court complex in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on November 11, 2025. Photojournalist: Muhammed Semih Uğurlu/AA]
