Khawaja Asif. Photo: X.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday declared that the country was “in a state of war” after a deadly suicide bombing outside Islamabad’s district and sessions court killed at least 12 people and injured 27 others.
The statement marks one of the strongest responses from the government in recent years and comes after one of the worst terrorist attacks to strike the capital in a long time. Calling the attack a “wake-up call,” Asif urged Pakistanis to unite against terrorism, warning that the country’s patience had run out.
“In this environment, it would be futile to hold out greater hope for successful negotiations with the rulers of Kabul,” Asif said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “The rulers of Kabul can stop terrorism in Pakistan, but bringing this war all the way to Islamabad is a message from Kabul, to which, praise be to God, Pakistan has the full strength to respond.”
The explosion ripped through the G-11 district outside Islamabad’s main court complex around midday when a suicide bomber reportedly detonated explosives near a police vehicle. Local media reported that the blast was so powerful it was heard up to six kilometres away.
Videos from the scene showed several bodies lying on the road, damaged vehicles, and shattered windows in nearby buildings. Police have not ruled out the possibility of a coordinated terror attack, as investigators examine evidence collected from the site.
The blast came just a day after a similar explosion outside Delhi’s Red Fort area that killed 12 people and injured many others. That incident coincided with the busting of a major terror module linked to Pakistan-based groups Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, from whom nearly 2,900 kilograms of explosive-making materials were seized.
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
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