Pakistan strongly condemns suicide attack on Islamabad Imambargah
Perpetrators to be held accountable; Indian proxies blamed
Islamabad: Pakistan’s leadership has strongly condemned the suicide on an imambargah during Friday prayers in Islamabad, vowing to bring the “extremists to full account.”
According to Kashmir Media Service, the blast at Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra in the Tarlai area killed at least 31 people and injured 169 others.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed “deep grief and regret” over the explosion, extending condolences to the victims who lost their lives in the blast. “Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity,” Zardari said, directing authorities to provide the injured with the best possible medical care.
While condemning the blast, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to conduct a “thorough” investigation and “swiftly” identify those responsible. “The perpetrators of the blast must be identified and brought to justice,” Sharif said, adding: “No one will be allowed to spread violence and instability in the country.”
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said, “Targeting places of worship and civilians is a heinous crime against humanity and a blatant violation of Islamic principles,” he said. “This barbarity will not intimidate us, and extremists will be brought to full account.”
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said: “Those who martyr worshippers in mosques are enemies of both religion and the country.” “It has been proved that the terrorist involved in the attack travelled to and from Afghanistan. The collusion between India and Afghanistan is being revealed,” he further stated in a post on X.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also said that “India is behind” the incident today. The minister further said that Pakistan had always promoted peace and wanted peace in the region. But, he added, Pakistan’s neighbours had been involved in terror activities in the country.
Mosharraf Zaidi, Prime Minister Sharif’s spokesman, said the attack at the Imambargah in Islamabad “is only the latest in a series of murderous terrorist attacks orchestrated by India.” “India’s terrorist proxies will neither slow down economic recovery, nor divide Pakistani hearts, nor undermine Pakistan’s growing diplomatic capital,” Zaidi stated on X.
