An explosion outside a court building in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, has killed at least 13 people and injured more than 30 others, in what the government has described as an act of Indian state-sponsored “terrorism.”
The powerful car bomb exploded on Tuesday, 11 November, at the entrance of the city’s main district court complex, a typically crowded area where large numbers of people gather.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters that a “suicide bomber” detonated explosives near a police vehicle outside the court gates.
According to Naqvi, the attacker attempted to enter the court premises but, failing to do so, “targeted a police vehicle.”
Immediate investigations are underway, though no group has yet claimed responsibility. Pakistani media outlets have drawn comparisons between the explosion and previous attacks carried out by armed groups, most notably the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
A police spokesperson said: “We will be able to provide more details after we get a report from our forensic team.”
Local media reported that most of the victims were passers-by or individuals attending court appointments.
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President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the “suicide blast,” expressed condolences to the victims’ families, and paid tribute to law enforcement agencies.
Officials blame India
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accused India of orchestrating the Islamabad attack, alleging that a similar bombing at a cadet college near the Afghan border earlier this month was also “sponsored” by New Delhi.
Sharif provided no evidence for the claim but described both incidents as “the worst examples of Indian state terrorism in the region.”
“It is time for the world to condemn such nefarious conspiracies of India,” he said in a statement posted on X by the Government of Pakistan account.
“We will continue the war against them until the complete elimination of the scourge of terrorism,” he added.
The Pakistani Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) confirmed that the number of wounded had risen from 27 to 30 and declared a state of emergency following the blast.
The explosion occurred as several major public events were taking place in the capital region, including the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers Conference, the Sixth Margalla Dialogue, and an international cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in nearby Rawalpindi.
The Islamabad attack came just 24 hours after a deadly car explosion in India’s capital, New Delhi, which also killed 13 people.
