ISLAMABAD: At least 12 people were killed and more than 20 others were injured in a suicide blast carried out outside the District Court Complex in Islamabad’s G-11 Sector on Tuesday.
According to police and eyewitnesses, the powerful explosion occurred near a police vehicle parked outside the court premises. The blast was heard several kilometres away, setting nearby vehicles on fire and damaging cars and motorcycles in the vicinity.
Initial reports confirmed that the deceased and injured included lawyers, applicants, and passers-by. Following the explosion, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi arrived at the scene. Law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and shifted the injured and bodies to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for treatment.
Authorities also evacuated the court complex and launched a search and clearance operation, collecting forensic evidence, including body remains of the suspected suicide bomber, to determine the nature of the attack.
Speaking to reporters, Interior Minister Naqvi said the suicide blast occurred at 12:39pm, killing 12 people and injuring 27 others. The attacker, he said, had planned to enter the court complex but detonated the explosives near a police vehicle after failing to pass through the security check. “The suicide bomber stood near the court premises. Initially, he tried to enter the building but failed,” Naqvi said.
The minister said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to ensure immediate medical treatment for the injured.
The top priority is to identify the suicide bomber. He said that Pakistani authorities have visited Afghanistan and shared concerns about how militants are trained there before launching attacks in Pakistan, he said.
He warned that if Afghanistan does not stop these hostile elements, Pakistan will have no choice but to take necessary measures to counter them.
Naqvi strongly condemned the suicide attack carried out by the Indian-sponsored and Afghan Taliban–backed proxy group, Fitna al-Khawarij. He expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of innocent lives in the blast and extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.
He directed that a comprehensive investigation of the incident be conducted and a detailed report submitted. Referring to another recent incident, he mentioned that a suicide attacker driving a vehicle also detonated himself at the entry point of the cadet college in Wana, where security clearance operations are still ongoing.
Naqvi further stated that evidence shows Afghan involvement in the Wana attack, adding that communication between the attackers and contacts in Afghanistan has been traced. He assured that all those involved in planning and facilitating the Kachhari attack will be brought to justice.
The deceased were identified as Iftikhar Ali, Sajjad Shah, Tariq, Iftikhar, Subhanuddin, Saqlain, Safdar, Shah Muhammad, Zubair Ghumman, and Badiullah. The identities of the other dead could not be ascertained.
Injured persons include Mazhar Advocate, Irshad, ASI Muntazir, Azhar, Adil Kayani, Alam Zar, Yasin, Muhammad Imran, Head Constable, Ehtesham Shumaila, Naveed Anjum, Qaiser Mahmood, Malik Maseeh, Imran Javed, Constable Muhammad Ramzan, Balochistan Police, Mir Azam, son of Ghameen Khan, Haider Khan Advocate, Imran, Kazim, and two unidentified.
Following the attack, police placed the city on high alert, tightening security around the Judicial Complex, adjoining courts, and the Red Zone.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025