The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Dawn has reported that at least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured when an explosion tore through Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra in Islamabad’s Tarlai area during Friday prayers.
Images from the site showed bloodied bodies on the carpeted
floor amid shattered glass, debris, and panicked worshippers. Dozens of injured
worshippers were lying in the garden outside the mosque as calls for help
echoed.
Islamabad Capital Territory Police Spokesperson Taqi Jawad
said it was too early to confirm the exact nature of the blast but indicated
that signs pointed to a suicide bomber. The district administration said
security personnel had completely sealed off the site, and assistant
commissioners were overseeing the treatment of the injured at hospitals.
Police and Rescue 1122 teams responded immediately,
initiating relief operations. An emergency was declared at Pakistan Institute
of Medical Sciences (PIMS), the federal capital’s Polyclinic, and CDA Hospital.
The hospitals activated main emergency, orthopaedic, burn, and neurology
departments to handle the casualties.
The attack occurred during the two-day official visit of
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Condemnations poured in from national and international
leaders. Former President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the incident,
calling it a “crime against humanity,” and prayed for the speedy recovery of
the injured. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the blast, expressing
“deep grief.”
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry urged
national unity, tolerance, and solidarity with law enforcement agencies. Senate
Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas called the attack a failure in
protecting human lives and strongly condemned targeting a place of worship.
Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam condemned
the attack on behalf of the Iranian government and people, extending
condolences to the families of victims and praying for the recovery of the
injured.
Friday’s deadly blast comes less than three months after a
suicide attack outside a district and sessions court in Islamabad’s G-11 area
on November 11, 2025, which killed 12 people and injured over 30 others.
