Pakistan Launches Probe into Islamabad Court Bombing That Killed 12
Pakistan has begun investigating the suicide bombing that killed 12 people outside a district court in Islamabad on Tuesday, as authorities confront renewed threats from militant groups amid fragile relations with neighboring Afghanistan and India.
The blast occurred near a residential area on the outskirts of the capital, raising fears that militant networks remain active despite years of military crackdowns. Police and forensic experts on Wednesday cordoned off the site to collect evidence, while grieving families gathered at hospitals to claim the bodies of their loved ones.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi alleged the bombing was carried out by “Indian-backed elements and Afghan Taliban proxies” associated with the Pakistani Taliban, though he provided no evidence. He added that investigators were examining all possible leads. Both India and Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government have rejected Pakistan’s accusations, insisting they maintain no ties to militant activity.
While the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), denied involvement, a splinter faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, initially claimed responsibility before one of its commanders later refuted the statement — highlighting divisions among Pakistan’s militant groups.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif described the attack as “a message for Pakistan,” warning that insurgents were demonstrating their reach deep inside the country. He did not rule out retaliatory strikes on TTP hideouts in Afghanistan, urging Kabul to take stronger action against cross-border militants.
The court bombing came just a day after militants targeted an army-run cadet college in Wana, northwestern Pakistan. Security forces killed four attackers, including a suicide car bomber, and safely evacuated over 600 students and staff. Authorities said the attackers appeared to be attempting a repeat of the 2014 Peshawar school massacre that killed more than 150 people, mostly children.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have intensified since October following deadly drone strikes and border clashes, despite Qatar’s mediation of a cease-fire. The TTP has grown increasingly emboldened since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, while Pakistan’s diplomatic ties with both India and Afghanistan remain strained.
The Islamabad bombing has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community, underscoring Pakistan’s ongoing struggle to contain militant violence and maintain regional stability.
