Imambargah blast mastermind netted

Three others also arrested from K-P; Naqvi points finger at India; Says terror network operate from Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD:

As the death toll from the suicide bombing at the Islamabad imambargah climbed to 35, the government on Saturday announced a major breakthrough, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi saying overnight raids across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa resulted in deadly encounters and pointed to cross-border involvement.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Naqvi said raids continued throughout the night to trace those involved in a major test case for law enforcement agencies.

"All those people linked to this, and the mastermind, at around 3am, all of them were apprehended," the interior minister said, praising the joint efforts of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and K-P police.

According to Naqvi, raids were conducted in Nowshera and Peshawar, resulting in the arrest of four facilitators, including an Afghan national identified as the principal handler. "After the blast, raids were carried out in Nowshera and Peshawar, in which four facilitators were caught. And their mastermind, who is an Afghan, was also caught," he said.

Naqvi said the attack was "planned, trained, and executed" through Daesh operatives based in Afghanistan, with foreign funding flowing in "directly in dollars".

"Let me be very clear: India is funding them. India is giving them their targets. India is planning every step for them," the interior minister said. "These organizations are on their payroll. The world may stay silent today, but a day will come when every country will acknowledge who is sponsoring this terrorism."

In a coordinated intelligence-led operation, security and law enforcement agencies conducted successful raids across Peshawar and Nowshera districts. Officials noted that terrorists operating under the patronage of the Afghan Taliban continue to pose a significant threat to regional peace.

Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Peshawar focused its early morning search operation on the residence of an individual identified as Yasir. During the raid, authorities detained Yasir's two brothers, Bilal and Nasir, alongside his brother-in-law, Usman.

Investigators disclosed that intercepted communications between Yasir and Usman occurred shortly before the Islamabad blast, and all three suspects are currently undergoing intensive interrogation to determine their level of involvement.

Initial findings from the probe indicate that Yasir had spent several months in Afghanistan, where he allegedly received specialised training in weapons handling and suicide bombing techniques.

Following his training, he returned to Pakistan in mid-2025 to activate the cell.

Daesh link confirmed

Speaking to the media, the interior minister confirmed that an assistant sub-inspector of K-P police was martyred during the raids, while other personnel sustained injuries. "But the main mastermind is linked to Daesh and is in our custody," he said, referring to the banned so-called Islamic State.

Naqvi said investigators had established that the planning and training for the attack were carried out across the border.

"The planning and training for the attack was done by 'Daesh Afghanistan' and carried out in the neighbouring country," he said. "We have people who are telling us details about how he (the attacker) went there and how he was trained."

Reiterating the government's long-standing position, he said militant outfits were operating in coordination.

"We have been saying for a while that whether it be Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Afghan Taliban, Daesh or other kharji terrorist organisations - they are all working together. At this time, 21 terrorist bodies' setups … name any terrorist body, it is operating from Afghanistan," he said.

'We are in a state of war'

Calling for public cooperation, Naqvi said the country was facing a war-like situation. "We are in a state of war; be it in Balochistan, K-P or elsewhere. The intelligence [from] the community matters the most," he said, urging citizens to report suspicious activity.

"When people get to know about an unknown person living in their community, report it to the police - when this system is activated, [terror incidents] will decrease."

Addressing criticism over security lapses, he added, "I received a message last night from someone asking where the security agencies were and why this incident happened. I can tell you that if one blast happens, 99 others are being foiled".

Naqvi said he had asked agencies to begin sharing details of foiled attacks with the media. "It may spread panic but I said that we should share with the media which incidents were foiled," he said.

The interior minister said that terrorist groups were being funded and tasked from abroad. "The names of Daesh and Taliban were coming up, but 'someone was funding them' and giving them targets," he said. "They would get $500 but now they're getting $1,500. Someone's increasing their budget."

"I say again with clarity that all of their funding comes from India. India is giving them all the targets; they are planning each and every thing behind the scenes. These organisations are at the front, while India is at the back," Naqvi said.

He said Pakistan would raise the issue internationally. "Nothing happens for free," he said, adding that since May, terror budgets had increased threefold. "We know about this and it is our duty to take this case to all international platforms."

Naqvi said he would brief the deputy prime minister so foreign missions could update other countries. "They (India) are now doing it so openly because they know that they cannot beat us in a war," he said. "If they have adopted this tactic, then let them. But we will stop this; even if they increase their budget tenfold, it will have no impact."

Similarly, referring to recent attacks in Balochistan, Naqvi accused the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) of producing "high-production value" propaganda amplified by Indian media. "The world has declared BLA a terrorist organisation, but nobody will go there (India) and ask why they are showing the BLA's content," he said.

"They create content, carry out incidents and run it on their media. It is a complete system they've created," he said, rejecting claims that militants had seized territory. "Not one inch [of land] is under their control."

"We will continue fighting this war, but the world needs to realise that this is becoming a regional threat," he warned.

The minister also accused Indian media of amplifying propaganda by banned outfits such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). "BLA produces high-quality videos, carries out attacks, and those videos immediately appear on Indian channels. Yet no one questions why."

Naqvi acknowledged resource constraints within Pakistan's security apparatus, saying the budget was far lower than often claimed. "I wish I could meet all the requirements of our security forces. There are small things they need that I cannot provide due to financial issues."

He added that terrorists possess advanced American weapons and technology left behind in Afghanistan, creating an imbalance that Pakistan must urgently address.

Naqvi also outlined upcoming security upgrades for the capital, including reinforcement of 93 entry points, improvements to Islamabad's smart-security system, and recruitment of 6,000 new police personnel to address the aging force.