A suicide blast outside a district and sessions court in Islamabad’s G-11 area on Tuesday killed at least 12 people and injured 27 others, officials said.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the attack, saying the bomber detonated explosives near a police vehicle after failing to enter the court premises.
“We are not taking this blast as a normal blast because today’s blast is taking place in Islamabad, on this occasion, at this time, and it conveys a lot of messages,” Naqvi told reporters. He said identifying the attacker was a top priority and promised swift justice.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is monitoring the medical treatment of the wounded, while President Asif Ali Zardari and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif condemned the attack. Asif called the incident a “wake-up call,” warning that Pakistan remains “in a state of war.”
Videos showed flames and plumes of smoke rising from the scene, with witnesses describing scenes of panic and chaos as lawyers and bystanders fled. An emergency was declared at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital.
The attack follows Monday’s deadly explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort in India that killed eight people, raising fresh regional security concerns.