China condemned on Sunday the deadly suicide bombing at an imambargah in Islamabad earlier this week, asserting that it “firmly supports” the Pakistani government in safeguarding national security and stability.
“China is deeply shocked by the deadly explosion in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad and the heavy casualties it has inflicted. China mourns for the lives lost, and our hearts go out to the injured and those who lost their loved ones.
“China strongly condemns the attack, opposes any form of terrorism and firmly supports the Pakistani government in safeguarding national security and stability and protecting the safety of the people,” a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry said.
The attack took place inside the mosque at the Imambargah Qasr-i-Khadijatul Kubra, located in the Tarlai area of what is considered ‘rural Islamabad’, off Lehtrar Road on Friday. It left over 30 people dead and more 100 injured.
Police officials said the blast occurred after Friday prayers, adding that the attacker was stopped at the gate of the mosque, where he detonated his explosive payload.
Footage and photos from the blast site showed several bodies lying near the mosque’s front gate, with people and debris also strewn across the red-carpeted prayer hall.
Dozens more wounded were lying in the garden outside the mosque as people called for help.
The brazen attack elicited an outpouring of grief from across the country, and prompted condemnations from most world capitals, as well as local political and religious groups.
Authorities have pointed fingers at Afghanistan and India as the investigation into the incident continues.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said yesterday that four facilitators behind the suicide bombing, including the mastermind, had been arrested, saying the suspects were detained in overnight raids in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said multiple agencies launched an investigation immediately after the blast and carried out operations overnight. “I want to praise our agencies and the Counter-Terrorism Department in KP that all the people who were linked to the blast, including the masterminds, were arrested before 3am,” he added.
After the blast, raids were conducted in Peshawar and Nowshera and the facilitators and the mastermind were arrested.
Naqvi claimed that the mastermind was an Afghan national, affiliated with the militant Islamic State (IS) group. “The terrorist involved in the incident got training in Afghanistan. How he was trained, his travel history tells everything,” Naqvi said.
A KP police assistant sub-inspector was martyred during the overnight raids, while several personnel were injured, the minister added.
He stressed that the network had been dismantled. “The entire ISIS network has been busted,” he said.
Naqvi claimed there were at least “21 terrorist organisations” operating from Afghanistan. He alleged that the mercenaries shifted allegiance “to whoever paid them more”.
“Someone is giving them funds, and they are getting dollars from somewhere,” he said, alleging India was providing funding and targets. “Those who were giving $500 are now giving $1,500… India has increased the funding three times after May,” he said.
