Deadly Suicide Attack Rocks Islamabad Courts
A devastating suicide bombing outside district court buildings in Islamabad has left 12 people dead and 27 injured, marking the first major terrorist attack to hit the Pakistani capital in years. The assault occurred on Tuesday midday when the area was crowded with people, creating chaos in what was previously considered one of Pakistan's safest urban centres.
The bomber attempted multiple times to enter the court buildings before ultimately detonating an explosive device beside a police vehicle. The powerful blast sent shockwaves through the legal district, prompting immediate security lockdowns and emergency response operations.
Conflicting Claims and Political Fallout
The attack has sparked a complex web of accusations and denials between neighbouring nuclear powers. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the bombing as a "nefarious conspiracy" and pointed fingers at "Indian state terrorism," alleging that Afghan-based militants carried out the attack "at the behest of India."
However, these claims were swiftly rejected by Indian authorities. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India's foreign ministry, stated: "India unequivocally rejects the baseless and unfounded allegations." The exchange represents another deterioration in relations between the two countries, which recently came close to all-out war following cross-border strikes in May.
Security Challenges and Regional Implications
The attack underscores significant security challenges facing Pakistan as it confronts a surge in terrorist activity. Initially, the Pakistan Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP) claimed responsibility for targeting "un-Islamic judges and lawyers," though the group's spokesperson later retracted this claim.
Several Pakistani ministers have attributed the bombing to TTP, the Islamist group responsible for hundreds of militant attacks this year, primarily targeting police and security services in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border region.
The incident occurred just one day after an explosion in India's capital, Delhi, killed eight people. While the causes of the Delhi blast remain unclear, India's anti-terror agency has taken charge of that investigation.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of providing safe haven and training to TTP fighters, with heavy clashes occurring between the two countries last month. The Afghan Taliban have denied supporting TTP and have refused to commit to measures against their activities in Afghanistan.
In a speech addressing the security situation, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar called terrorism "one of the major global challenges of our time" and vowed that "these cowardly acts will never shake or weaken our national resolve to deal with this menace."
