QUETTA: Security forces have arrested the wife of an alleged facilitator of the female suicide attacker who targeted the Frontier Corps (FC) headquarters in Nokundi last year, officials said on Saturday, claiming that her husband had taken a woman and her our children to Afghanistan for suicide bombing training.
Speaking at a press conference, Additional Chief Secretary Home Hamza Shafqaat said extremist networks were increasingly using women and children as tools to carry out attacks, calling the trend inhumane and contrary to local traditions.
“Evidence of cross-border infiltration and terrorism from Afghanistan exists, and terrorists escape across the border after carrying out attacks,” said Mr Shafqaat, flanked by DIG Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Balochistan and aide of home department affairs Babar Khan Yousafzai.
Officials said the Nov 30 attack on the FC headquarters involved a female suicide bomber linked to a banned outfit (Balochistan Liberation Front), adding that the arrest of Rahima Bibi, wife of an alleged facilitator, had provided key leads.
Husband allegedly fled to Afghanistan after Nov 30 attack
They claimed that Rahima Bibi’s husband was allegedly involved in facilitating the attacker and later fled to Afghanistan.
Authorities said he had brought an unidentified woman and her children to their home in Dalbandin earlier in November before taking them away the following day.
He later informed his wife that the same woman had carried out the suicide bombing.
In a video statement shown during the press conference, Rahima Bibi said she was married to Manzoor Ahmed in April 2025 and that her husband had occasionally used her mobile phone. She said he brought the unidentified woman and her children to their home on Nov 11 and took her away the next day. Following the attack, he asked her to travel to Afghanistan, but she was arrested before she could leave.
Mr Yousafzai said the case showed how terrorist groups were exploiting women for their activities. He alleged that elements hostile to Pakistan were operating from across the border and facilitating such attacks.
Officials further said the suspect’s husband had used her identity to obtain a SIM card and maintain contact with terrorists. He allegedly provided shelter to the suicide bomber, identified as Zarina, and arranged her travel to Afghanistan for training before deploying her in the attack.
Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2026
