A deadly suicide blast occurred outside a district court in Islamabad on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 30, significantly escalating regional tensions.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the explosion was a suicide attack. The bomber detonated explosives near a police vehicle at 12:39 pm outside the District Judicial Complex after being prevented from entering the court premises.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other top officials swiftly blamed India for orchestrating the attack, linking it to an earlier assault on an army-run cadet college near the Afghan border. Sharif labeled both incidents "the worst examples of Indian state terrorism."
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared Pakistan was "in a state of war," calling the blast a "wake-up call" and suggesting peace talks with the Kabul government were futile due to the alleged use of Afghan territory by militants.
Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos, with cars burning and bodies near the entrance during a busy court session. Hospitals in the capital declared an emergency, and security forces sealed off the blast site for forensic investigation.
While no group has claimed responsibility, officials suspect the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) or allied groups operating from Afghanistan, an accusation Kabul denies.
The attack occurred amidst heightened security in Islamabad and a day after a separate car bombing in Delhi. Analysts suggest the incidents underscore Pakistan's growing internal insecurity and the "new proxy war dynamics" in South Asia.
The United States, United Kingdom, China, and the European Union have condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Pakistan.
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