Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared a “state of war” following a deadly suicide bomb attack in Islamabad that killed at least 12 people and injured 27 others on Tuesday.
The attack, which took place outside the city’s district court complex at around 12:30 p.m., constitutes one of the most serious security breaches in the capital in recent years.
The explosion occurred around 12:30 p.m. near the court complex, an area often crowded with lawyers and litigants attending hearings.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the attacker had tried to enter the court premises but, after failing, detonated himself near a police vehicle.
“We are investigating this incident from different angles. It is not just another attack,” Naqvi said.
Witnesses described panic at the scene as people ran for cover after the explosion.
“It was total chaos, lawyers and people were running inside the complex. I saw two bodies lying at the door and several cars on fire,” said Rustam Malik, a lawyer who was nearby.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which left a police car burned and several nearby vehicles on fire, according to video footage from the scene.
The bombing comes amid a sharp rise in militant attacks across Pakistan, including those carried out by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and separatist groups in Balochistan. Officials say the surge has created one of the country’s worst security crises in more than a decade.
The TTP has claimed responsibility for more than 600 attacks this year, most in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province bordering Afghanistan. Pakistan’s government has accused the Afghan Taliban of providing shelter and weapons to TTP fighters, accusations Kabul denies.
Tensions between the two nations have led to deadly border clashes, and peace talks aimed at easing hostilities have so far yielded no results. At the same time, separatist militants in Balochistan have intensified their campaign for independence, carrying out high-profile attacks, including the hijacking of a passenger train earlier this year.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said the attack in Islamabad was a warning about the growing threat within the capital and across the country.
“We are in a state of war. Anyone who thinks that Pakistan Army is waging this war in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region and remote areas of Balochistan, today’s suicide attack at Islamabad District Courts is a wake-up call,” he said.
Asif also questioned whether ongoing peace efforts with the Afghan Taliban could succeed under current conditions.
“In this environment, it would be futile to entertain any higher hopes for successful negotiations with the rulers in Kabul,” he added.
The declaration of a state of war in Islamabad underscores the magnitude of Pakistan’s struggle to contain Islamist and separatist militancy as security forces prepare for more attacks in the coming weeks.
(The UK Guardian)
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