Pakistan blast: 12 killed outside Islamabad Court, echoes of Delhi blast

At least 12 people were killed and more than 20 others, mostly lawyers, were injured after a powerful explosion hit a car near the Islamabad judicial complex on Tuesday, according to Pakistani media reports. Officials said the blast occurred in a parked vehicle and is believed to be a suicide attack.

The explosion took place around 12:30 p.m., during peak working hours near the entrance of the district court, causing chaos and panic among lawyers and staff. The shockwave was so strong that it was heard many kilometres away, and several nearby cars were badly damaged. Most of the injured were lawyers and court employees.

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.

President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the suicide blast near Islamabad District Judicial Complex, expressed deep condolences with the bereaved families, prayed for early recovery of the injured, and paid tribute to law enforcement agencies.

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) November 11, 2025

A False Attack?

It is worth noting that the explosion in Pakistan’s capital happened just a day after a similar incident in India’s capital. On Monday, a car parked near Delhi’s Red Fort exploded, though the person behind that attack is still unidentified.
The resemblance between the two blasts has raised suspicions. Many believe that Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir might have staged the Islamabad attack to make Pakistan appear as a victim following the Delhi incident.

Afghan Link

The Islamabad blast took place only hours after Pakistani security forces claimed they had foiled an overnight assault on a cadet college in Wana, in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border.

Authorities said the attack involved a suicide car bomber and five armed men targeting an area that was once a hub for the Pakistani Taliban, al-Qaeda, and other militant groups.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan was “in a state of war” and called the incident a “wake-up call.” He accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harbouring militants, including members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Last month, Pakistan carried out airstrikes inside Afghanistan, prompting retaliatory cross-border attacks by the Taliban. The clashes killed 50 civilians and injured 447 in Afghanistan, while 23 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 29 others wounded.
Asif added that Kabul’s rulers have the power to stop terrorism in Pakistan but warned that bringing the conflict to Islamabad was a direct message from Afghanistan — one, he said, that Pakistan is fully prepared to respond to.

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