ISLAMABAD: At least 31 worshippers were killed and 169 others injured when a powerful explosion ripped through Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra in Islamabad’s Tarlai area during Friday prayers.
Graphic images from the scene showed bloodied bodies lying on the carpeted floor amid shattered glass and debris, while dozens of wounded lay in the courtyard outside as terrified worshippers cried for help.
Islamabad Capital Territory Police spokesperson Taqi Jawad said it was too early to determine the exact nature of the blast, though initial indications suggested it was a suicide attack. He confirmed that among the dead was a cousin of Islamabad Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, while another relative was injured.
District administration officials sealed off the site, and assistant commissioners were deployed to coordinate medical care across hospitals. Police and Rescue 1122 teams launched immediate rescue operations, while an emergency was declared at Polyclinic, PIMS, and CDA Hospital. PIMS activated its emergency, orthopedic, burn, and neurology departments and appealed for blood donations.
In response to the attack, Rawalpindi police were placed on high alert, with enhanced security checks at mosques and imambargahs across the city. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz dispatched 25 ambulances to Islamabad and placed all Rawalpindi hospitals on high alert, ensuring surgical teams and specialists were on standby. The attack occurred during the official visit of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Pakistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the blast as a “crime against humanity” and called for full medical support to the injured. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to conduct a swift investigation and vowed that those responsible would be held accountable.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar described the attack as a “cowardly suicide bombing” and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to fighting terrorism. The incident follows a similar suicide attack in Islamabad’s G-11 area in November 2025, which killed 12 people and injured more than 30 outside a district court building.
