ISLAMABAD: A suicide bomber detonated explosives outside Islamabad’s Judicial Complex on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and injuring 27 others, in what authorities described as a terrorist act orchestrated by an Indian-backed and Afghan Taliban–facilitated militant network, “Fitna-ul-Khawarij.”
Officials confirmed that the attacker’s severed head was recovered from the blast site, leaving no doubt that a suicide bomber was involved. The explosion ripped through outside the Judicial complex, home to several district courts and offices, shattering windows and setting parked vehicles ablaze.
Police said the suicide bomber detonated his suicide vest at the main entrance of the complex. The blast was powerful enough to be heard kilometres away, including at the Police Lines Headquarters, with thick smoke rising over the capital.
The dead and wounded included lawyers, petitioners, police personnel, and bystanders who had gathered for court hearings. Emergency teams rushed the injured to PIMS Hospital, where several victims remain in critical condition. Authorities declared a state of emergency at all major hospitals in Islamabad.
The forensic and bomb disposal teams immediately began collecting evidence, cordoning off the area as part of a sweeping security operation.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif condemned the attack, calling it a stark reminder of Pakistan’s ongoing struggle against terrorism. “We are in a state of war. Anyone who thinks that the Pakistan Army is fighting this war only in the Afghan-Pakistan border region or the remote areas of Balochistan is mistaken,” he said. “Today’s suicide attack at the Islamabad district courts is a wake-up call for the entire nation.”
He further warned that expectations of successful negotiations with the rulers in Kabul would be misplaced, given their continued tolerance of cross-border militancy.
President Asif Ali Zardari also condemned what he termed a “suicide blast”, offering condolences to the families of those killed, praying for the swift recovery of the injured, and paying tribute to law enforcement agencies who acted swiftly in the aftermath of the explosion.
Islamabad suicide blast initial report
Pakistan authorities have revealed the Initial report into the Islamabad suicide blast. At least 12 people were martyred and 27 were injured in a suicide bomb blast near the Islamabad district courts complex, hospital sources said.
According to an initial report, the suicide bomber arrived on foot outside the district courts in Islamabad. The report states that the attacker remained seated near the gate for some time.
Security personnel were conducting checks on people entering the premises, and it appears the bomber intended to go inside. However, due to the ongoing security screening, the attacker was stopped and subsequently detonated the explosives on the road outside.
At the time of the explosion, around 35 to 40 people were present in the vicinity, the preliminary report added. The explosion also damaged nearby parked vehicles and motorcycles, police officials said.
Sources said that body parts believed to be of the suicide bomber, including the head, were recovered from the site. Islamabad police chief Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi and the Chief Commissioner visited the scene and were briefed on the incident and the ongoing investigation.
Pakistan’s security officials have attributed the attack to “Fitna-ul-Khawarij,” a proxy group allegedly sponsored by Indian intelligence agencies and facilitated by elements within the Afghan Taliban. Investigators said the network was also responsible for the recent assault on Wana Cadet College in South Waziristan, linking both attacks to a broader campaign of cross-border terrorism targeting Pakistan’s stability.
Videos shared on social media showed flames engulfing a vehicle and thick plumes of smoke rising outside the court compound, with panic spreading among people in the vicinity. Court proceedings were suspended, and judges, lawyers, and litigants were evacuated through emergency exits.
Security has been placed on high alert across the capital, with additional deployments at key installations and entry points. Officials have vowed to bring those responsible to justice and reinforce counterterrorism operations nationwide.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp resurgence in terrorist attacks since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in 2021. Most attacks have targeted security personnel and civilians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with militant infiltration and cross-border strikes becoming more frequent.
According to government data, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone recorded over 600 terror incidents in the first eight months of 2025, resulting in the martyrdom of 138 civilians and 79 police officers. Islamabad has repeatedly urged the Afghan Taliban leadership to prevent their soil from being used against Pakistan, warning that continued inaction could further strain bilateral relations.
The latest attack, coming just a day after the Wana Cadet College assault, underscores what Pakistani officials describe as a coordinated escalation of Indian-backed proxy violence aimed at destabilising the region.
اسلام آباد خودکش دھماکے کی سی سی ٹی وی فوٹیج سامنے آ گئی pic.twitter.com/c9v3RpPOHX
— Rizwan Ghilzai (Remembering Arshad Sharif) (@rizwanghilzai) November 11, 2025
“The enemies of Pakistan are once again trying to spread fear and chaos,” said a senior security official. “But our resolve remains firm — we will hunt down these networks and ensure that no power undermines Pakistan’s security and sovereignty.”
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the site of the suicide bombing outside the Islamabad District Courts and directed authorities to complete the search operation at the earliest.
During his visit, senior police officials briefed the minister on the preliminary findings of the explosion, while Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa and senior police officials accompanied him.
Minister Naqvi strongly condemned the Indian-sponsored and Afghan Taliban-facilitated terrorist attack carried out by the proxy network Fitna-ul-Khawarij. Expressing deep sorrow and grief over the loss of lives, he extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and prayed for the recovery of the injured.
He directed officials to conduct a comprehensive investigation and submit a detailed report, emphasizing that the perpetrators must be brought to justice without delay.
