A violent attack at a mosque in Islamabad on Friday claimed at least 31 lives and left 169 people wounded, officials said.
The explosion struck during midday prayers at the Shia Khadijatul Kubra Mosque in Tarlai, causing widespread panic and prompting hospitals to launch urgent appeals for blood donations.
Authorities said a suicide bomber approached the mosque gates and detonated explosives, while witnesses described hearing gunfire immediately before the blast.
Zaheer Abbas, present at the mosque, recalled the chaos: "After that, we bowed and then prostrated, and then there was an explosion. After which there were injured people lying everywhere."
The mosque caretaker, Syed Ashfaq, who lives next door, ran toward the mosque after hearing the gunfire. "By the time I reached it there had already been an explosion," he said.
"Bodies were lying everywhere, some were missing arms, some missing legs. We took the most injured in our own vehicle [to hospital]."
Islamabad’s deputy commissioner Irfan Memon confirmed the casualty figures, with hospitals receiving dozens of the injured via ambulances and private vehicles. Images from the scene showed broken glass, scattered shoes, and survivors tending to those hurt amid the debris.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed "deep grief" over the attack and called for a thorough investigation. President Asif Ali Zardari described it as "targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity." Defence Minister Khawaja Asif suggested foreign involvement, accusing India and Afghanistan of complicity, claiming the attacker had travelled to Afghanistan and opened fire before detonating explosives after being challenged by security personnel.
India condemned the blast, calling the allegations against it "baseless," while expressing condolences to the victims’ families.
The incident comes after a week of deadly violence in Pakistan, including coordinated attacks in Balochistan that killed 58 civilians. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for those attacks, while the military said it had killed over 200 militants in response.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), last year saw 3,413 deaths due to violence in Pakistan, including 2,138 militants, marking a 74% increase in combat-related deaths compared to 2024, making it the deadliest year in over a decade.
