Web Desk: Indian ministry of foreign affairs has issued a press release condemning the blast in Tarlai Pakistan while fuelling and funding the terrorism in Pakistan, being in close coordination with terrorist organisations such as TTP fitna al khawarij, ISKP, BLA and other terror offshoots.
A suicide bomber killed at least 31 people and wounded 169 others after detonating explosives during Friday prayers at an imambargah in Rawalpindi’s outskirts making it one of the deadliest attacks on a place of worship in recent months.
Police said the blast struck Imambargah Khadijah-tul-Kubra in the Tarlai area. Images from the scene showed bloodstained carpets, shattered glass and debris inside the hall, while injured worshippers lay in the garden outside as people called for help.
Rescue workers rushed the wounded to hospitals across Islamabad, where authorities declared medical emergencies.
Security officials said the attacker was stopped by guards at the entrance and opened fire before detonating his explosives while standing in the last row of worshippers.
Because the blast occurred during congregational prayers, officials said, the toll rose quickly.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said preliminary investigations showed the attacker was a Pakistani national who had travelled to Afghanistan multiple times and undergone what he described as extreme religious indoctrination before returning to Pakistan last year.
“The terrorist travelled to and from Afghanistan,” Asif said in a post on social media platform X, alleging collusion between militant networks based in Afghanistan and India.
India has repeatedly denied involvement in attacks inside Pakistan.
Later, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry told reporters that forensic analysis of the attacker’s remains confirmed repeated travel to Afghanistan, although he was not an Afghan citizen.
He said rescue teams reached the site within 10 to 12 minutes of the explosion and that authorities were tracking those who facilitated the attack.
Chaudhry said Pakistan had shared evidence with the international community alleging that militant violence inside the country was being sponsored by India, a claim New Delhi has consistently rejected.
“These groups are not acting for religion,” he said. “They are paid in dollars.”
He added that investigators would release a detailed report within 72 hours, including information on alleged handlers.
Asif said the state would respond to the attack “with full force,” calling the bombing an attempt to destabilize Pakistan amid recent diplomatic and economic developments.
“This is a war through proxies,” he said during a television interview, adding that Pakistan would not be deterred.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also blamed India for the attack and said Pakistan remained committed to eliminating militancy.
Meanwhile, authorities placed police in Rawalpindi on high alert and reviewed security at mosques and imambargahs across the region. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said ambulances, medical teams and blood banks were placed on standby.
She announced the cancellation of Basant-related events in the province, citing national mourning.
The Islamabad Bar Association called for a day of mourning and a strike, while provincial governments cancelled public celebrations and cultural events.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing and ordered authorities to complete the investigation swiftly and ensure the best possible medical care for the injured.
“No one will be allowed to spread chaos in the country,” Sharif said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar described the attack as a crime against humanity, while Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the assault would not weaken Pakistan’s resolve against militancy.
The bombing comes less than three months after a suicide attack outside a court complex in Islamabad killed 12 people. It also occurred during an official visit by Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, underscoring ongoing security challenges in the capital.
