ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi Saturday announced that law enforcement agencies have arrested four facilitators and the main mastermind behind the devastating suicide blast at Khadijat-ul-Kubra Imambargah during Friday prayers, which claimed 33 lives and left dozens injured. The mastermind is said to be linked to the banned Daesh Afghanistan.
Speaking at a press conference, Naqvi said intelligence-based operations (IBOs) were launched immediately after the attack, leading to arrests in Nowshera and Peshawar late Friday night. “Four facilitators were taken into custody, and the main planner—an Afghan national—has also been apprehended,” he confirmed.
Naqvi praised the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police for their crucial role in the operation. He noted that an assistant sub-inspector of KP police was martyred during the raids, while three other officers sustained injuries.
READ MORE: At least 31 killed, 169 injured in blast at Islamabad imambargah
The minister revealed that the arrested mastermind had ties to Daesh and that the attacker received training in Afghanistan. “We now have individuals who have provided details about how the attacker traveled and was trained,” he said.
Naqvi warned that militant groups including Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Afghan Taliban, Daesh, and others were coordinating their activities. “At least 21 terrorist organisations are currently active in Afghanistan,” he claimed. He further alleged that external funding was fueling these groups, with payments to attackers rising from USD 500 to USD 1,500. The minister accused India of directing and financing these militant groups from behind the scenes. “These organisations operate on the front, while India provides the targets and plans the attacks,” Naqvi said, adding that BLA videos after such incidents were openly broadcast on Indian media.
Naqvi stressed that Pakistan was in a state of war and urged citizens to remain vigilant, reporting suspicious individuals to the police. “If one blast happens, 99 others are being stopped,” he said, emphasizing the need to upgrade security systems.
He added that he would brief Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to inform the international community about the matter. “India knows it cannot defeat us in a conventional war, so it has adopted this strategy. But we will stop them—no matter how much they increase their budget,” he asserted.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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