Islamabad | Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi to address the security situation in Islamabad in a meeting on Saturday. A press release by the prime minister’s media wing said that during the meeting, the interior minister briefed the premier on the overall security situation of the country. “The prime minister was also given a detailed briefing on the current overall situation and security in Islamabad,” it added. According to the press release, PM Shehbaz directed Naqvi to address the security situation in Islamabad and other matters “in an effective and efficient manner”. The statement by the premier’s media wing further said that Naqvi would soon visit Sri Lanka, where he would “convey the prime minister’s special message” to the Sri Lankan president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Islamabad has experienced two major suicide attacks in recent weeks. One occurred on 6 February, when 36 people were killed and over 150 injured in a suicide bombing at an imambargah during Friday ...

UNITED NATIONS: The 15-member United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday condemned the suicide bombing at an imambargah in Islamabad in the “strongest terms”. On February 6, a suicide bomber had ripped through the Friday congregation at the Imambargah Qasr-i-Khadijatul Kubra on the outskirts of Islamabad. At least 38 people were killed in the incident and more than 150 were injured. In a press statement issued by UNSC President James Kariuki, the 15-member body described the February 6 attack as a “heinous and cowardly suicide bombing terrorist attack”. The UNSC expressed “its deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and the people of Pakistan” and wished “a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured”. Reaffirming its long-standing position, the UNSC said that “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security”. The statement further stated that UNSC members stressed the need ...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to confer a posthumous national civil award on 22-year-old Oun Abbas, who lost his life while resisting the suicide attacker who targeted an imambargah in Islamabad, it emerged on Thursday. On February 6, a suicide bomber ripped through the Friday congregation at the Imambargah Qasr-i-Khadijatul Kubra on the outskirts of Islamabad. At least 38 people were killed in the incident, and more than 150 were injured. According to eye witness accounts, Abbas, who was praying inside the hall, had abandoned his rituals and tried to tackle the attacker. However, he lost his life when the suicide bomber detonated. In a letter addressed to the prime minister and dated Feb 11, a copy of which is available with Dawn, Kundi lauded the “exceptional gallantry and supreme sacrifice” displayed by Abbas. “In those moments of terror and chaos, while many sought safety, this brave young man chose to confront the terrorist face to face,” Kundi sai...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced financial compensation for the families of those killed and injured in the recent suicide bombing that targeted a mosque in Islamabad, reiterating that the sacrifices of the victims would not go in vain.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced compensation for those martyred and injured in the suicide attack on an imambargah in Islamabad last week. The premier made the announcement while visiting the site of the attack. On February 6, a suicide bomber ripped through the Friday congregation at the Imambargah Qasr-i-Khadijatul Kubra on the outskirts of Islamabad. At least 38 people were killed in the incident and more than 150 were injured. During the visit, PM Shehbaz announced a sum of Rs 10 million for Oun Abbas, who resisted the suicide attacker; Rs5m for each martyr; Rs3m for those critically injured and under treatment at the hospital; and Rs1m for those with minor injuries who had been discharged. Speaking on the occasion, PM Shehbaz said, “These terrorists have no religion, and they have crossed all the limits of cruelty.” Talking to the affected families, he said the entire nation was in a state of grief and saddened over the tragic incident, which resulted in the martyrdom of elders and k...

ISLAMABAD - A local court in Islamabad on Tuesday issued non-bailable warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in a case related to defamation of state institutions.

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday stressed the need for a national identity as the National Assembly passed a resolution condemning the attack at an imambargah in Islamabad. Speaking on the floor of the house, Asif said, “It is very important that we have a national identity on which no one disagrees.” Talking about terrorism, he said, “The spike in terrorism in the country; I am sad to say that we are not even united in the condemnation of terrorism.” He said that in order to protect political interests, some refrained from attending the funerals of martyrs. “At least on national issues — all of us sitting here, regardless of which party they belong to … this is one thing on which there needs to be consensus on and that is Pakistan and its integrity as well as respect for those sacrificing their lives,” he said. In his remarks, the minister said that two dictators in the past had joined the war in Afghanistan to please a superpower. He said terrorism was a blowback of mistakes committed by d...

ISLAMABAD: Data from hospitals showed that the death toll of the suicide attack on an imambargah in Islamabad reached 38 on Monday. Speaking in the National Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that 33 people were killed in the attack while more than 150 were injured. However, hospital records show that the toll has increased. On the day of the incident, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil said that 28 dead bodies were brought to the hospital. On the other hand, Polyclinic said that four dead bodies were brought to the hospital, which added up to 32 deaths, as reported by the media. A day later, on Saturday, the Pims Spokesperson confirmed that a patient had died. The same day, it was also learnt that some of the injured were shifted to the HBS Institute of Healthcare and Allied Health Sciences, out of which three had died. The hospital’s representative, Dr Riaz Janjua, told Dawn that three deaths were reported at his hospital. He informed t...

Islamabad was once known for its lush greenery, but the felling of trees across the city for infrastructure and monuments has prompted local anger and even lawsuits. Built in the 1960s, the city was planned as a green city, with wide avenues, parks and tree-lined sectors. Many residents fear that vision is steadily being eroded, with concrete replacing green spaces. Muhammad Naveed took the authorities to court this year over “large-scale tree cutting” for infrastructure projects, accusing them of felling “many mature trees” and leaving land “barren”. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) blamed major infrastructure development, including road construction and monuments, for the mass razing of trees and natural vegetation in Islamabad. Between 2001 and 2024, the capital lost 14 hectares of tree cover, equal to 20 football pitches, according to Global Forest Watch, though the figure does not account for tree cover gains during the same period. For Kamran Abbasi, a local trader and resident since the 1980s, it f...

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR/QUETTA: Most of the markets in Lahore and Islamabad were open on Sunday, despite a strike call by opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) in protest of alleged discrepancies in the 2024 general elections. The PTI — a part of the TTAP — had announced a strike today to mark the second anniversary of the Feb 8, 2024 general elections, which it alleges were marred by rigging. The party also said it will observe a day of mourning following Friday’s suicide bombing at an imambargah in Islamabad that claimed at least 36 lives. A partial shutdown was observed in Peshawar, while a complete shutdown strike was reported in Quetta. In Lahore, all major markets remained closed, primarily due to Sunday and the ongoing Basant festival. In the evening, the TTAP could not hold a torch-bearing rally outside Islamabad’s Faisal Mosque as planned, claiming road closures and the arrest of over two dozen workers. Despite the alleged arrests of over two dozen workers — including eight...

China condemned on Sunday the deadly suicide bombing at an imambargah in Islamabad earlier this week, asserting that it “firmly supports” the Pakistani government in safeguarding national security and stability. “China is deeply shocked by the deadly explosion in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad and the heavy casualties it has inflicted. China mourns for the lives lost, and our hearts go out to the injured and those who lost their loved ones. “China strongly condemns the attack, opposes any form of terrorism and firmly supports the Pakistani government in safeguarding national security and stability and protecting the safety of the people,” a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry said. Turkiye FM offers condolences over loss of life Separately, in a phone call with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan conveyed “heartfelt condolences on behalf of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, himself, and the brotherly people of Turkiye” over the loss of life in the attack, the Foreign Office (FO) ...

China has strongly condemned the deadly attack on a mosque in Islamabad, expressing solidarity with Pakistan and pledging support for the government’s efforts to maintain national security and stability.

Islamabad - The death toll from the suicide bombing at Imambargah Qasr-i-Khadijatul Kubra in Tarlai, Islamabad, rose to 3 6 on Saturday, with 169–170 people injured, hospital and official sources confirmed.

ISLAMABAD: PTI stalwart Asad Qaiser said on Saturday that the party would go ahead with its countrywide protest on Feb 8 (Sunday) — the second anniversary of the 2024 general polls — but would also observe a day of mourning in the wake of the suicide bombing in Islamabad a day earlier. Talking to Dawn, Qaiser termed rumours regarding the party cancelling or postponing the protest incorrect. “The fact is that we have decided that the day will be observed as a national day of mourning. At the same time, protests will also be held across the country against rigging during the general elections,” he said. Replying to a question, he said that February 8 was not limited to PTI founder Imran Khan or the PTI. “It is a day on which the whole nation was deprived of democracy and the right to choose its representatives. We will hold the protest and a complete shutter-down strike against the injustice with the masses,” he added. Qaiser said that the PTI and Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) opposition alliance woul...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday that four facilitators of the suicide attack on an imambargah in Islamabad, including the “main mastermind”, had been arrested during raids in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He made the remarks while speaking to the media in Islamabad. In his media talk, the interior minister said that operations were underway throughout last night to trace those behind the attack. Making special mention of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and the KP police for their joint efforts, he said, “All those people linked to this, and the mastermind, at around 3am, all of them were apprehended.” He lauded all “agencies”, saying that this incident was a “test case”. “After the blast, raids were carried out in Nowshera and Peshawar, in which four facilitators were caught. And their mastermind, who is an Afghan, was also caught,” he said. He said that an assistant sub-inspector of KP police was martyred during the raids, while others were injured. “But the main mastermind is linked to Daesh an...

ISLAMABAD: The death toll from the Islamabad imambargah attack rose to 36 on Saturday, according to hospital officials. The attack occurred at Imambargah Qasr-i-Khadijatul Kubra in the Tarlai area on the city’s outskirts during Friday prayers. Over 160 others were injured, with the death toll expected to rise. “A 21-year-old man who was brought from the imambargah has died,” Dr Aneeza Jalil, a spokesperson at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), confirmed to Dawn. “The number of deaths has reached 33, and nine patients are in very serious condition,” she added. She recalled that 149 injured and 28 bodies were brought to Pims on Friday following the attack. Separately, HBS Hospital’s Dr Riaz Janjua confirmed to Dawn that three deaths from the attack were reported at his hospital. Great progress in probe: info minister Information Minister Attaullah Tarar held a press conference in Lahore with various religious scholars, including Allama Muhammad Hussain Akbar. “There has been progress to a great ...

President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon sent a telegram of condolences to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif over the tragic consequences of a deadly terrorist act at a mosque in Islamabad, which resulted in the death and injury of a large number of people.

At least 31 people were killed and another 169 were injured when an explosion ripped through an imambargah in Islamabad’s Tarlai area during Friday prayers. Images from the site showed bloodied bodies lying on the carpeted floor surrounded by shards of glass, debris and panicked worshippers. The attack was condemned by political leaders in Pakistan and countries across the globe, which labelled the incident “abhorrent” and “a direct attack on humanity, religion and social values”. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal strongly condemned the “cowardly” attack, writing on X, he said that his heart went out to the victims’ families. “Pakistan stands united against terrorism — we will bring the perpetrators to justice,” he added. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry strongly condemned the attack in a post on X, expressing grief over the loss of lives in the “cowardly act”. He extended condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the recovery of the injured. “Such acts of terrorism cannot dampen the ...

At least 31 people were killed and another 169 injured in a suicide bombing at an imambargah during Friday prayers in Islamabad, according to authorities. The explosion occurred at Imambargah Khadijah-tul-Kubra in the Tarlai area of the federal capital. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif suggested India’s and Afghanistan’s involvement in the attack, stating, “It has been proved that the terrorist involved in the attack travelled to and from Afghanistan”. Muhammad Kazim, a 52-year-old, said an “extremely powerful” explosion ripped through the building as prayers were just starting. “During the sajda, we heard gunfire,” he told AFP. “And while we were still in the bowing position, an explosion occurred,” he said. Kazim — from Gilgit-Baltistan who currently lives in Islamabad — escaped unharmed, but accompanied his wounded friend to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital for treatment. “Debris fell from the roof, and windows were shattered,” he added. “When I got outside, many bodies were scattered … Man...

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday that its recent tree-cutting drive in the capital was conducted on the direct instructions of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The statement was part of a written report submitted to the court in response to a petition challenging the CDA’s tree-cutting drive, which had drawn significant public criticism. Recently, large-scale tree removal took place in at least three locations in Islamabad, including acres of tree cover around Shakarparian, drawing criticism alleging large-scale environmental damage. However, authorities have maintained that only Paper Mulberry trees were cut down as they were a major cause of allergies. In its submission, the CDA defended the campaign as a “well-planned operation” aimed at removing Paper Mulberry trees, which it described as a major source of pollen allergies and asthma in Islamabad. The authority cited scientific research, including a study published in the Journal of Global...