Thousands mourn 32 victims of Islamabad Shia mosque bombing in Pakistan 

Thousands of mourners in Pakistan have gathered in Islamabad to bury the victims of a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in the city during Friday prayers, an attack that killed at least 32 worshippers and injured 170 others, officials said.

The victims are being laid to rest on Saturday as authorities intensify a security crackdown. In northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s Peshawar city, police arrested two brothers and a woman during a raid on what they described as the alleged suicide bomber’s hideout.

Friday’s powerful explosion struck the Khadija Tul Kubra mosque in the Tarlai Kalan area on the outskirts of Islamabad. The ISIL (ISIS) armed group later claimed responsibility.

The attack was the deadliest in Islamabad since September 2008, when a suicide truck bomb killed more than 60 people and destroyed part of the five-star Marriott Hotel. While bombings are rare in the heavily guarded capital, this is the second such attack in three months, raising fears of a return to violence in Pakistan’s major urban centres.

Al Jazeera correspondent Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said people he spoke to believe innocent civilians are being targeted.

“They say this is a lapse of security, that the authorities knew very well that there was an imminent threat, given the fact that intelligence-based operations are going on in Balochistan and in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.”

Hyder added that this was not the first attack by ISIL. “In 2017, ISIL attacked a shrine in Pakistan, killing over 90 people and wounding hundreds. They have carried out attacks not just in Pakistan, but also in Moscow a few years ago, and in Kermanshah, Iran, during commemorations of the martyrdom of Qassem Soleimani. It should be understood that ISIL has been a regional threat, and Pakistan stresses that neighbouring countries and the region must take this threat seriously,” he reported.

Government promises justice, pledges unity against ‘terrorism’

Pakistan’s leaders have pledged justice and unity following the deadly attack. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the country was committed to combating “terrorism” and standing united.

“The perpetrators of this heinous crime will be brought to justice with full force, and their nefarious designs will never be allowed to succeed,” he wrote on X.

President Asif Ali Zardari acknowledged the global messages of condolence and solidarity in reinforcing the nation’s commitment to peace and unity.

Pakistan blames ‘India-backed proxies’ for attack

Pakistani leaders blamed India for the attack, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi saying Pakistan had “shared evidence with neighbouring countries showing that terrorism in Pakistan is sponsored by India”.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif added on X that the bomber had a history of “travelling to Afghanistan” and accused India of sponsoring the assault, saying the attackers were paid in dollars rather than acting for religion.

India, however, termed the accusation “baseless and pointless,” with the Ministry of External Affairs saying in a statement that while it condemned the attack and offered condolences to the victims, “it is unfortunate that instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself by blaming others for its homegrown ills”.