Pakistan arrests mastermind and facilitators of deadly Islamabad imambargah bombing that killed 33, raising urgent fears over worship place security
By Mehrab Shah Afridi
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday that the alleged mastermind of the Islamabad suicide bombing, linked to the banned Daesh group, had been taken into custody along with all facilitators involved in the attack, as authorities claimed a major breakthrough in the investigation into one of the deadliest assaults in the capital in recent years.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Naqvi said the arrests were carried out in raids in Peshawar and Nowshera shortly after Friday’s attack on an imambargah in the Tarlai area. The bombing, which took place during prayers, left at least 33 people dead and dozens injured, sending shockwaves across the country and prompting renewed concerns over security at places of worship.
According to the interior minister, the suicide attacker opened fire at the entrance of the imambargah before detonating himself. He said the Counter Terrorism Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, working alongside other law enforcement and intelligence agencies, had arrested all individuals linked to the planning and execution of the attack. During the raids, a KP police officer was killed and several others were injured, which Naqvi described as a “painful sacrifice” in the fight against terrorism.
Naqvi claimed that evidence gathered during the investigation showed the planning and training of the attacker had been carried out in Afghanistan. He alleged that Daesh was operating from Afghan soil and accused India of providing financial support and targets to terrorist outfits operating against Pakistan. “I am saying this again with clarity,” he told reporters, alleging that funding for these groups was being provided by India, a claim he said Pakistan would raise at international forums.
The minister further claimed that payments to militants had increased significantly in recent months, alleging that India had tripled what he described as its “terror budget” following a military setback earlier in the year. He insisted that Pakistan’s resolve would not weaken even if such funding increased further.
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