• Twelve killed, 36 injured in suicide bombing outside district courts
• Police say attacker came from outside Islamabad; bomber’s route traced with help of AI
• TTP claims responsibility; explosive weighed 4kg
• Naqvi vows to punish masterminds; PM, president review situation

ISLAMABAD: A suicide attack outside the judicial complex housing the Islamabad district and sessions courts on Tuesday killed 12 people and injured at least 36, including four women and four policemen. It was the first such attack in the capital in nearly three years.

The blast occurred as Islamabad was hosting several international eve­nts, including the Inter-Parliamentary Spea­kers’ Conference and the 6th Margalla Dialogue, while a tri-nation cricket series featuring Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe is underway, with a match in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

Officials said the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.

Police said a lone bomber blew himself up at the main entrance to the complex, located in the G-11 sector, after failing in repeated attempts to enter the premises, where hundreds of litigants and lawyers were present.

A lawyer at the scene, Mohammed Shahzad Butt, told AFP that there was a “massive blast”, adding: “Everyone started running inside out of panic. I have seen at least five dead bodies lying at the front gate.”

Rustam Malik, another lawyer, told the news agency that he “heard a loud bang at the gate” as he was entering the complex. “It was complete chaos, lawyers and people were running inside the complex. I saw two dead bodies lying on the gate and several cars were on fire,” he said.

Police officers told Dawn that investigators had reco­v­ered a face, believed to be that of the bomber, from the scene. The remains have been sent to the relevant authorities for reconstruction and identification, for which Nadra’s assistance would be sought.

Multiple teams have started working on the incident. CCTV footage from the Safe City Islamabad Authority and nearby buildings is being examined to trace the bomber’s route to the judicial complex and identify any facilitators or handlers. Footage from bus terminals and checks at nearby hotels are also underway.

Police officials said preliminary investigations suggested that the suicide attacker came from outside Islamabad.

According to initial findings, the bomber arrived in Islamabad on Friday and travelled from Pir Wadhai to the judicial complex on a motorcycle while wearing a shawl. Investigators have collected about 92 CCTV recordings with the help of artificial intelligence during the initial inquiry.

The explosive used in the attack weighed roughly four to five kilograms and was packed with ball bearings. Officials said the attacker appeared to have acted alone, but verification was underway regarding any handlers or facilitators.

A car and a motorcycle spotted in the footage have been marked as suspicious, and additional evidence is being gathered through camera backtracking.

‘Perpetrators will bear consequences’

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters outside the complex that the suicide blast took place at 12.39pm. He confirmed that 12 people had been killed and 27 were initially injured, later revised to 36.

Providing details of the incident, Mr Naqvi said CCTV footage showed the attacker waiting outside the court building for around 12 minutes. “He first attempted to go inside the court but then targeted the police vehicle after he was unable to do so,” the minister said.

He added that an investigation was underway and identifying the attacker was a top priority. “I assure you we will identify him in the next few hours,” he said. “We are linking this blast today with a lot of things and, in the coming hours or days, we will be very clear about it.”

“We are not taking this blast as just another one,” he added, noting that its timing and the federal capital being targeted “has a lot of messages”.

“I don’t want to say anything about how Indians do…. like where and what happened half an hour before the blast even occurs,” he said.

“We will go with complete evidence and details. Whoever is involved in this, whether locals or foreigners, we will not spare anyone,” the minister vowed, affirming that the state will not remain quiet on the matter. “We have a clear message that whoever did this will bear the consequences.”

According to Mr Naqvi, CCTV footage showed that the suicide bomber, standing outside the court building, “kept trying to figure out from different angles how to go inside”.

Responding to queries about those behind the blast, he said, “As far as this (Islamabad blast) is concerned, we will let you know as soon as this individual is identified.”

Officials said the bomber looked like Pashtun or Afghan. The minister noted the injured included some police personnel, adding that the driver of the vehicle targeted remained safe. A lawyer was among the casualties, he added.

Asked about any security alerts, the interior minister replied, “There is nothing as such; routine matters are taking place.”

Mr Naqvi noted that various activities were taking place in the capital, including political developments, events involving international guests and sports games. He assured the public that the law enforcement agencies, the army and the Rangers were working together to keep the city secured.

The minister said he had directed the chief commissioner not to allow any vehicles into Islamabad without an e-tag on them after two weeks.

Victims identified

Those who were killed in the incident included Iftikhar Ali, Sajjad Shah, Tariq Khan, Subhan Uddin, Saqlain, Safdar Ali, Shah Mohammad, Zubair Ghuman, Abdullah and Iftikhar Khan. Among the wounded cops were Assistant Sub-Inspector Arshad, Head Constable Mohammad Imran and Constable Imran Javed, while other injured included Nusrat Zafran, Shamsha Khizer, Shumaila and Bushra Bibi.

Security around the Judicial Complex, adjoining courts and other sensitive buildings in Islamabad has been further tightened, police officials told the state-run APP news agency. Similar steps have also been taken at the capital’s entry and exit points.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and key members of his cabinet and ruling coalition met President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-i-Sadr on Tuesday to review the security and political situation in the country following the Islamabad suicide blast.

According to a statement issued by the President House, the meeting condemned the recent acts of terrorism and reaffirmed that operations against “foreign-sponsored terrorists and their facilitators” would continue until the menace was eliminated.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2025