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Pakistan has opened an investigation into the suicide attack that killed 12 people outside district court buildings in Islamabad, after the prime minister made unsubstantiated claims that “Indian state terrorism” was behind the blast.
The attack took place in the middle of the day on Tuesday as the area was thrumming with people. The bomber made several attempts to get inside the buildings before detonating a device next to a police car, killing 12 people and injuring 27.
It underscored the security challenges facing Pakistan as it grapples with a surge in terrorist activity.
The attack was claimed initially by the Pakistan Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In a statement, the group said it had targeted “un-Islamic judges and lawyers”, though TTP’s spokesperson later denied the group was behind the attack.
Several Pakistani ministers also attributed the suicide bombing to TTP, the Islamist group behind hundreds of militant attacks in Pakistan this year, targeting largely police and security services in the border region of Khyber Pawktunkhwa.
Tuesday’s attack was the first major blast in years to target Islamabad, which was widely regarded as being safe from militant activity.
The attack could also have wider regional implications. On Tuesday night, Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, issued a statement alleging that the attack was carried out by Afghan-based militants “at the behest of India” and described the attack as “nefarious conspiracy”, though provided no evidence for the claim.
In response to Sharif’s allegation, India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, denied the claim. “India unequivocally rejects the baseless and unfounded allegations,” he said.
Relations between India and Pakistan have hit historic lows after India accused Pakistan of masterminding a terrorist attack that killed 26 people in Indian-administered Kashmir in April. Pakistan denied the accusation. The two nuclear-armed countries then came close to all-out war after exchanging missiles and drones in cross-border strikes in May.
India has accused Pakistan repeatedly of continuing to harbour terror groups. In response, Pakistan has alleged that “Indian-backed elements” have been behind a surge in destabilising militant attacks in the country, specifically by TTP and separatist Baloch militant groups in Balochistan.
Pakistan has also accused Afghanistan of providing a safe haven and training to TTP fighters, and heavy clashes broke out last month between the two countries. The Afghan Taliban have denied any support to TTP and have refused to commit to any measures to crack down on their activity in Afghanistan.
The blast in Islamabad came the day after an explosion in India’s capital Delhi left eight people dead. The causes still remain unclear but India’s anti-terror agency are heading the investigation and a case has been filed under an anti-terror law.
In a speech, the foreign minister and deputy prime minister, Ishaq Dar, called terrorism “one of the major global challenges of our time”.
“Let me be very clear: these cowardly acts will never shake or weaken our national resolve to deal with this menace,” he said.
