November 11, 2025
By Rana Malhi
ISLAMABAD
At least 12 people were killed and 27 others injured in a suicide blast outside the District Courts complex in Islamabad’s G-11 sector on Tuesday afternoon. The explosion, which occurred at around 12:39 pm, shook the federal capital and sent shockwaves through the area as emergency services rushed to the scene. The blast comes a day after there was a car explosion in New Delhi which killed at least eight people.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced that the explosion was a suicide attack, although no group has claimed responsibility yet. However it is suspected that a splinter group of the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, may be behind the incident.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to X to blamed India for the “suicide attack” in Islamabad as well as an attack on a cadet college that took place near the border with Afghanistan earlier today.
“Both attacks are the worst examples of Indian state terrorism in the region,” he said. “It is time for the world to condemn such nefarious conspiracies of India,” according to a post on X by the Government of Pakistan account. “We will continue the war against them until the complete elimination of the scourge of terrorism.”
The last attack on the judicial complex in Islamabad was also claimed by Jamatul Ahrar in March of 2014.
At the time the JuA had parted ways with the TTP and ran a parallel organisation called the Ahrar ul Hind.
The last suicide bombing in Islamabad in December 2022, was also… https://t.co/OItCqkskaP— Iftikhar Firdous (@IftikharFirdous) November 11, 2025
Mohsin Naqvi also alleged that the attack was “carried out by Indian-backed elements and Afghan Taliban proxies” linked to the Pakistani Taliban. Still, he said authorities are “looking into all aspects” of the explosion.
Speaking to news media, Naqvi said that, “The bomber attempted to enter the court premises, but after failing to gain access, detonated himself near a police vehicle.”
He confirmed that among the dead and injured were several police officials and a lawyer.
“Our first priority is to identify the attacker,” he said, adding that security agencies were collecting forensic evidence from the scene. The minister also linked the attack to ongoing militant activity along the Pak-Afghan border, stating, “We have already shared evidence with Afghanistan about how militants are being trained there before carrying out attacks inside Pakistan. If these elements are not stopped, we will have to take our own measures.”
Scenes of panic
The powerful blast took place at the main gate of the courthouse, causing chaos as people ran for cover. Eyewitnesses described the devastation.
“I had just parked my car and was about to enter when I heard a huge explosion. I saw people running in all directions and cars on fire,” said lawyer Rustam Malik. “There were bodies near the gate and smoke everywhere.”
Police immediately sealed off the area and evacuated the courts. Emergency has been declared at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where the dead and injured were taken. Hospital officials said four of the injured were in critical condition.
Rescue 1122 teams and police vehicles transported the victims to the hospital. Forensic teams were also dispatched to collect evidence, while security around key government buildings in Islamabad was heightened.
President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack, calling it a “cowardly act of terror.”
They directed authorities to ensure the best medical care for the injured and to bring the perpetrators to justice. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also condemned the bombing, saying such “cowardly acts cannot shake our resolve.”
Forensics
Police sources said the suspected bomber’s head was recovered from the scene, confirming the nature of the explosion. Initial findings suggest the attacker was targeting the court complex, possibly to cause mass casualties among security personnel and civilians gathered outside.
The blast follows a string of recent militant incidents, including Monday’s attack on a cadet college in Wana, South Waziristan, which security forces attributed to cross-border elements. Naqvi hinted that both incidents may be connected, suggesting that extremist groups operating from Afghan soil continue to target Pakistan.
In response to the attack, the Rawalpindi District Bar Association announced a complete strike for Wednesday, condemning the incident and demanding accountability for security lapses.
“We share the grief of the victims’ families and call for strict action against those responsible,” said the association’s president.
Security in Islamabad has been placed on high alert as investigations continue into the identity and network of the suicide bomber.
Attack at an army college
An overnight attack which started on Monday evening, shocked everyone as a suicide bomber and five others tried to storm the cadet college in Wana, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near the Afghan border. The area had until recent years reportedly served as a base for the Pakistani Taliban, al-Qaida and other foreign militants.
Pakistani security forces said they successfully foiled the attempt by militants to take cadets hostage at the army-run college overnight.
The authorities blamed the Pakistani Taliban, which is separate from but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban, but the group denied involvement in that attack.
According to reports by Associated Press, local police chief Alamgir Mahsud, said that two of the militants were quickly killed by troops while three others managed to enter the compound before being cornered in an administrative block. The army’s commandoes were among the forces conducting a clearance operation and an intermittent exchange of fire that went on for hours, Mahsud added.
He said the clearance operation was still underway on Tuesday, some 20 hours after the attack. The administrative block is away from the building housing hundreds of cadets and other staff, who were quickly evacuated to safer places by Pakistani commandoes.
There were no immediate reports of anyone from the students or the staff being hurt.
Casualties were highly likely among the troops, but the Pakistani army has not provided any information so far.
The Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, have become emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, and many of the group’s leaders and fighters are believed to have taken refuge in Afghanistan. Kabul denies it’s protecting the TTP.