Taliban claim responsibility for Islamabad attack, Pakistan blames India

Pakistan Taliban, a militant group in the country, has claimed responsibility for the deadly suicide bombing outside the district and sessions court in Islamabad. In a statement on Tuesday, the group said one of its fighters carried out the attack targeting judiciary officials. At least 12 people were killed and 27 injured in the Islamabad attack.

The Taliban further stated in their release that their main targets were judges, lawyers, and officials who deliver verdicts under Pakistan’s un-Islamic laws. They warned that such attacks will continue until Islamic Sharia law is implemented in Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif blamed India for the attack. In a statement, he accused India of carrying out terrorist attacks in Pakistan through various proxy groups, calling it highly condemnable. The statement from his office said India must stop such heinous acts of spreading terrorism in the region through proxy groups.

Separately, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, pointing towards Afghanistan after the attack, said Kabul’s rulers could stop terrorism in Pakistan if they wished. However, this attack in Islamabad is a message from Kabul, to which Pakistan is fully capable of responding. Referring to the attack as a warning for the country, he said, “We are in a state of war. If anyone thinks that the Pakistan Army is only fighting at the borders or in remote areas of Balochistan, today’s attack in the Islamabad court premises carries a strong message for them.”