Information Minister says terrorists targeted hotspots after securing difficult targets
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Saturday denounced the perpetrators of the Tarlai imambargah suicide attack as “Khawarij”, promising that the state would “shrink the ground” for anyone targeting innocent civilians.
At least 32 people were killed and around 169 others injured when a suicide bomber struck Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra during Friday prayers, according to authorities and hospital officials. The blast occurred as worshipers gathered for Jumma prayers and was accompanied by explosions and gunfire.
The attack was the deadliest in Islamabad in more than a decade and the deadliest nationwide since the Peshawar mosque bombing in January 2023.
Speaking at a joint press conference at Idara Minhaj-ul-Hussain alongside religious leaders including Allama Muhammad Hussain Akbar, Tarar said preliminary investigations indicated that the attack was planned from outside the country.
“According to our investigations, the perpetrator was trained in Afghanistan,” Tarar said, urging the neighboring Taliban government to ensure its soil is not used as a launching pad for attacks against Pakistan.
Also read: Four facilitators, masterminds of Daesh, detained during Imambargah suicide attack in Islamabad
Tarar said terrorists had changed tactics as security around city centers and other “hard targets” had become impenetrable. “When the center becomes secure, they start attacking soft targets on the outskirts,” he told reporters.
He said one of those killed in the attack was a relative of Islamabad Inspector General of Police Ali Nasir Rizvi. “We will account for every drop of blood shed,” Tarar said.
Asked if the attack was a sign of intelligence failure, the minister rejected the assertion that the center’s failings were solely responsible and said the change in the terrorists’ targeting strategy was a key factor.
On cross-border threats, Tarar reiterated that evidence showed planning and training often came from across the border and called on Pakistan’s neighbor to act. “We expect neighboring authorities to prevent their territory from being used against Pakistan,” he said.
Tarar said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered increased security at all places of worship in the country, adding that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was personally supervising the measures.
To counter extremist rhetoric, he announced the formation of a Paigham-e-Aman (Message of Peace) committee made up of representatives of the Sunni and Shiite communities, as well as Christian, Hindu and Sikh minorities.
Allama Muhammad Hussain Akbar described the attack as part of a larger plot to undermine Pakistan’s stability and economic progress. “It is a conspiracy against the state,” he said, adding that the country had seen the martyrdom of thousands of soldiers in 2025.
Akbar also called for stricter monitoring of media platforms to curb the spread of inflammatory and sectarian content.
The press conference ended with Tarar reciting verses of Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, which he said symbolized the nation’s resilience in the face of “the flash of calamity”. Authorities said investigations into the attack were ongoing and further updates would be shared as they emerged.
