ISLAMABAD: At least 31 people were killed and another 169 were injured in a suicide bombing at an imambargah during Friday prayers, according to authorities.
Police confirmed the number of casualties. The explosion occurred at Imambargah Khadijah-tul-Kubra in the Tarlai area of the federal capital.
Images from the site showed bloodied bodies lying on the carpeted floor surrounded by shards of glass, debris, and panicked worshippers.
Dozens more wounded were lying in the garden outside the imambargah as people called for help.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif suggested India’s and Afghanistan’s involvement in the attack, stating in a post on social media platform X that “it has been proved that the terrorist involved in the attack travelled to and from Afghanistan”.
“The collusion between India and Afghanistan is being revealed,” he said.
The defence minister said that security guards at the site of the incident had “challenged” the attacker, and in response, he opened fire. “He then blew himself up, standing in the last row of worshippers,” he said.
Asif said that the state would respond to this “cruelty with full force”.
“After a humiliating defeat, India is fighting a war through its proxies. It doesn’t have the courage to fight directly now,” he added.
Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada ke Saath’ later in the day, Asif said that the attack came as Pakistan signed landmark agreements with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and on the same day as the revival of Basant.
“The timing, I believe, is an effort to sabotage us and our progress … India cannot engage in an all-out clash with Pakistan, so it is using proxies and Afghanistan to disrupt peace here,” he said.
The defence minister said that the suicide bomber was a Pakistani national who had travelled to Afghanistan some time ago and undergone “extreme religious indoctrination”. He added that the bomber returned to Pakistan last year.
‘Attacker travelled to Afghanistan on several occasions’
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry later told the media in Islamabad that while the attacker was not an Afghan, authorities had been able to determine through forensic tests the number of times he had travelled to Afghanistan.
At the outset of his media talk, he said rescue teams from various departments began reaching the site of the incident within 10-12 minutes of the blast.
Regarding the attacker, he said: “Information has been obtained about the terrorist who carried out the suicide attack. He is not an Afghan national, but we have information about the number of times he travelled to Afghanistan after the forensics of his remains.”
Chaudhry added that a similar pattern was seen in terror incidents in the country, adding that attacks were either carried out “in the name of religion or on the pretext of … linguistic and provincial [differences].”
In connection with the latter, he particularly mentioned the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
“They had planned a week ago that they would give a surprise in Balochistan, but they had to pay a heavy price for it and suffered losses.
“These terrorists have reached the extremes of cowardliness. They are attacking soft targets, including markets, schools, mosques, imambargahs, banks and other such places,” he added.
The state minister also said that a first cousin of the Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi had died in the blast.
“All of them are our brothers. Irrespective of any sect, they all are Pakistanis,” he said, adding: “We are resolute and determined that the implementation of the National Action Plan will continue [in the fight against terrorism]. There is no doubt or leniency on this.”
Chaudhry also said that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had visited the imambargah that was targeted in the attack and collected relevant information.
He said that Pakistan had shared evidence with the rest of the world, including its neighbouring countries, that terrorism in Pakistan was sponsored by India.
“We have proof that India has tripled its investment into this. They (terrorists) are not carrying out attacks for religion, but for dollars … Whether they belong to the BLA, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan or any other group, they are paid in dollars,” he added.
The minister further stated that Islamabad had repeatedly urged Afghanistan not to provide space to terrorists and not to become India’s proxy.
“These proxies will meet the same fate as India did in May [last year],” he added.
Speaking about today’s attack, he said “Everything is being monitored at the highest level … But a lot of information cannot be shared at this point because it is important to reach those who were behind them (attacker). And within 72 hours, we will share a detailed report, including information about their handlers.”
When asked whether the incident was also not a failure of the authorities and the state in protecting the public, Chaudhry replied: “This is not a failure … We are a frontline state that is protecting the world. And they are attacking us as they just want to weaken the wall that is Pakistan. If this wall weakens, this fire is not going to stop at our border … We are a responsible state and we are going to fulfil our responsibility. We are going to win this war, and we are winning this war.”
Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that “India is behind” the incident.
Speaking to the media at Polyclinic Hospital in Islamabad, he expressed the resolve to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan.
The minister further said that Pakistan had always promoted peace and wanted peace in the region. But, he added, Pakistan’s neighbours had been involved in terror activities in the country.
In this connection, the minister particularly mentioned India, saying that it was involved in “terrorism activities in Balochistan, Fata and in the incident that took place in Islamabad today”.
“We have exposed them to the world,” he said, adding that the nation was united against such “cowardly acts and enemies”.
“The fight against them (terrorists) will continue until they are eliminated,” he expressed resolve.
The minister said the injured and the dead had been taken to Pims and Polyclinic Hospital, and emergencies had been declared in hospitals across Islamabad.
Meanwhile, the district administration spokesperson said the site of the blast had been sealed off by security personnel, and added that assistant commissioners were assigned to oversee the treatment of the injured at various hospitals.
Security personnel stand guard outside an imambargah following an explosion, in Islamabad on February 6, 2026. —AFP
Pindi police on high alert; Punjab CM dispatches ambulances
In view of the prevailing security situation, Rawalpindi police were placed on high-alert, according to a statement by the police spokesperson.
“Security duties are being checked and [officials are being] briefed at imambargahs, mosques and other places across the city,” the statement read.
According to the statement, the police officials held meetings with the administrators and the guardians of the religious places and informed them about security standard operating procedures and the measures taken in this regard.
The Islamabad Bar Association also called for a day of mourning on Saturday. A notice issued by the association said that it strongly condemned the suicide blast and expressed deep sorrow over the lives lost.
The association demanded that authorities conduct an immediate investigation into this incident and bring those involved to justice.
The lawyer’s body announced a day of mourning and strike for February 7 (tomorrow), saying that lawyers would not appear in court.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, in a post on X, said the provincial government had dispatched 25 ambulances to Islamabad.
She added that all hospitals across Rawalpindi district had been placed on high alert with “surgical teams, anesthetists, orthopedic and neurosurgical specialists on standby”.
“Blood banks are fully staffed, and operation theatres are fully equipped to ensure prompt and effective medical care for the injured.”
Maryam added that the commissioner and deputy commissioner of Rawalpindi were also instructed to extend every possible assistance.
She later said that she would be cancelling “all my Basant-related activities that were scheduled for tomorrow”.
“The mega Basant show at the Liberty Square also stands cancelled,” she said. The chief minister said that it was imperative that the nation was united against “ the khwarji menace and their ‘sympathisers’, shows them no mercy, and stands shoulder to shoulder with our armed forces in defence of the country”.
Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon said the provincial government had decided to cancel the “musical segment of the cultural night planned in honour of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians Association”.
“We share the pain of the bereaved families. The dinner will be held simply, without music, out of respect for the victims and our national grief,” he said.
President, PM condemn blast
Separately, President Asif Ali Zardari extended condolences to the victims who lost their lives in the blast, according to a statement issued by the PPP on X.
He expressed grief over the incident, saying, “Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity”.
The president prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and directed that all possible medical facilities be provided to them.
In a post on X later, he acknowledged the messages of support from around the world.
“Such solidarity reinforces our shared stand against violence. Pakistan remains resolute in upholding peace, resilience & national unity,” he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the blast, according to a statement. He expressed grief over the deaths in the blast and expressed sympathy with the bereaved.
In a meeting with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the prime minister directed him to complete the investigation of the incident and immediately identify the people responsible for it.
He directed that “the injured be provided best medical facilities and the health minister will monitor” the situation, the statement quoted him as saying.
“No one will be allowed to disseminate chaos and unrest in the country,” he said.
In a post on X, PM Shehbaz said he was grateful for the messages of support and sympathy from across the globe.
“The support of our friends and partners has always remained critical in Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts. The perpetrators of this heinous crime will be brought to justice with full force and their nefarious designs will never be allowed to succeed,” he said.
“The brave Pakistani nation stands united at this time and we remain fully committed to our resolve to defeat terrorism, as we always have,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also condemned the “cowardly suicide attack on innocent worshippers during Friday prayers at a Shia imambargah in Islamabad, killing dozens”.
“Targeting places of worship and civilians is a heinous crime against humanity and a blatant violation of Islamic principles,” he said.
Dar further said, “Pakistan stands united against terrorism in all its forms. This barbarity will not intimidate us and extremists will be brought to full account.”
In his condemnation, Information Attaullah Tarar termed the attack “cowardly”, expressing grief over the loss of lives.
He said, “Targeting worshippers is an extremely cowardly, inhuman and detestable act.”
The minister added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had instructed that those responsible for the attack should be penalised.
Tarar said the state was committed to protect the lives and properties of people, as well as mosques and imambargahs, and actions against miscreant would continue under a zero-tolerance policy.
In a later post, he said that those behind the attack could not shake the resolve of the nation through fear and terror.
“Until the complete annihilation of khwarijs — the enemies of Muslims and humanity — this nation will never be at peace,” he added.
The bombing comes less than three months after a suicide blast outside a district and sessions court building in Islamabad’s G-11 area on November 11, 2025. Twelve people were killed and more than 30 were injured in the blast.
Friday’s attack also occurred as Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was in the federal capital on an official visit to Pakistan.
Additional input from Mohammad Asghar
