Pakistan blames India after suicide bomber kills 12 in Islamabad

Pakistan has accused India of orchestrating a deadly suicide blast that killed at least 12 people and injured more than 30 outside a district court in Islamabad on Tuesday, intensifying regional tensions as officials also pointed fingers at Afghan-based militants.

According to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the explosion occurred at 12:39pm near the District Judicial Complex when the attacker detonated explosives beside a police vehicle after failing to enter the premises. He confirmed the blast was a suicide attack, reports UNB.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing and linked it to another assault earlier in the day on an army-run cadet college near the Afghan border. “Both attacks are the worst examples of Indian state terrorism in the region,” Sharif said, accusing New Delhi of backing militants operating from Afghan territory.

President Asif Ali Zardari also denounced the attack, calling it a “suicide blast” and offering condolences to victims’ families. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan was “in a state of war,” describing the explosion as a “wake-up call” and warning that any hope of peace talks with Kabul’s rulers would be futile.

Witnesses described scenes of chaos following the explosion, which struck during a busy court session. “Everyone started running in panic. I saw several cars on fire and bodies near the entrance,” said lawyer Mohammed Shahzad Butt.

Hospitals in the capital declared an emergency, and security forces sealed off the blast site while forensic teams collected remains for identification.

The attack occurred amid heightened security in Islamabad, which is hosting several international conferences, and a day after a car bombing in India’s capital, Delhi, killed 13 people.

No group has claimed responsibility for the Islamabad blast, but officials suspect the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) or allied groups operating from Afghan territory. Kabul has denied providing them safe haven.

Analysts said the attacks underscore Pakistan’s growing internal insecurity and strained ties with its neighbors. “These are no coincidences,” said Iftikhar Firdous, cofounder of The Khorasan Diary, noting that “the new proxy war dynamics” in South Asia are increasingly visible.

The United States, the United Kingdom, China, and the European Union have all issued statements condemning the attack and expressing solidarity with Pakistan.