Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday accused India of backing the suicide bombing in Islamabad that killed at least 12 people, even though the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Speaking after the explosion, which ripped through the G-11 judicial complex in the federal capital, Sharif condemned the perpetrators, calling them “Indian-sponsored terrorist proxies.” He alleged that “these attacks are a continuation of India’s state-sponsored terrorism aimed at destabilising Pakistan,” according to a report by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
India has not yet issued a response to Sharif’s comments. New Delhi, however, has previously dismissed such accusations as baseless attempts by Islamabad to deflect from its own internal security failures.
Sharif links attacks to Afghan-based networks
Without presenting evidence, Sharif further claimed that the same network operating from Afghan territory was behind another attack on Monday outside a Cadet College in Wana, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Three people were killed in that blast, which officials said was also carried out by the banned TTP.
Addressing the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference in Islamabad, Sharif said, “Afghanistan must understand that lasting peace can only be realised by reining in TTP and other terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory.”
In a post from the Government of Pakistan’s official X account, Sharif asserted that the Islamabad suicide bombing “originated in Afghanistan with India’s backing.”
Islamabad has long accused Kabul of harbouring armed groups, particularly the TTP, which frequently claims deadly attacks inside Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban, however, deny sheltering the group.
“No condemnation is enough for these attacks being carried out from Afghan soil under Indian patronage,” Sharif said, reiterating his charge against both neighbours.
Rising terror attacks heighten regional tensions
The explosion at the G-11 court complex marked the deadliest attack in Islamabad since December 2022. Officials said such acts “cannot shake Pakistan’s resolve to root out terrorism completely.”
The bombing coincided with security operations in Wana, where Pakistani forces were battling militants who had taken over a school. The incident follows a recent surge in cross-border violence between Pakistan and Afghanistan, culminating in their deadliest clashes in years this October.
