Information minister says terrorists targeted soft spots after hard targets secured
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Saturday denounced the perpetrators of the Tarlai imambargah suicide attack as “Khawarij”, vowing that the state would “make the land shrink” for anyone who targets innocent civilians.
At least 32 people were killed and around 169 others injured when a suicide bomber struck Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra during Friday prayers, according to authorities and hospital officials. The blast occurred as worshippers gathered for Jumma prayers and was accompanied by explosions and gunfire.
The attack was the deadliest in Islamabad in more than a decade and the deadliest nationwide since the Peshawar mosque bombing in January 2023.
Speaking at a joint press conference at Idara Minhaj-ul-Hussain alongside religious leaders, including Allama Muhammad Hussain Akbar, Tarar said preliminary investigations indicated the attack was planned from outside the country.
“According to our investigations, the perpetrator was trained in Afghanistan,” Tarar said, urging the neighbouring Taliban government to ensure its soil is not used as a launchpad for attacks against Pakistan.
Also read: Four facilitators, Daesh mastermind held in Islamabad imambargah suicide attack
Tarar said terrorists had changed tactics as security around city centres and other “hard targets” had become impenetrable. “When the centre becomes secure, they start attacking soft targets on the outskirts,” he told reporters.
He said one of those killed in the attack was a relative of Islamabad Inspector General of Police Ali Nasir Rizvi. “We will account for every drop of blood shed,” Tarar said.
Asked whether the attack pointed to an intelligence failure, the minister rejected the claim that flaws at the centre were solely responsible and said the shift in terrorists’ targeting strategy was a key factor.
On cross-border threats, Tarar repeated that evidence showed planning and training often originated across the border and called on Pakistan’s neighbour to take action. “We expect the neighbouring authorities to prevent their territory from being used against Pakistan,” he said.
Tarar said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered tighter security at all places of worship across the country, adding that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was personally overseeing the measures.
To counter extremist narratives, he announced the formation of a Paigham-e-Aman (Message of Peace) committee comprising representatives from Sunni and Shia communities, as well as Christian, Hindu and Sikh minorities.
Allama Muhammad Hussain Akbar described the attack as part of a wider conspiracy aimed at undermining Pakistan’s stability and economic progress. “This is a conspiracy against the state,” he said, adding that the country had seen the martyrdom of thousands of soldiers in 2025.
Akbar also called for stricter oversight of media platforms to curb the spread of inflammatory and sectarian content.
The press conference ended with Tarar reciting verses by Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, which he said symbolised the nation’s resilience in the face of “the lightning of calamity”. Authorities said investigations into the attack are ongoing and that further updates will be shared as they emerge.
