Three others were also arrested in KP; Naqvi points finger at India; He says the terrorist network operates from Afghanistan
People attend funeral prayers for the victims of Friday’s suicide blast at Imambagah in Islamabad. Photo: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
As the death toll from the suicide bombing at Islamabad’s imambargah climbed to 35, the government on Saturday announced a breakthrough, with Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi saying night raids in 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 track down those involved in a major test case for law enforcement agencies.
“All the people linked to this, and the mastermind, around 3am were arrested,” the home minister said, praising the joint efforts of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and the KP police.
According to Naqvi, raids were carried out in Nowshera and Peshawar, resulting in the arrest of four facilitators, including an Afghan national identified as the main perpetrator. “After the blast, raids were carried out in Nowshera and Peshawar in which four facilitators were captured. And their mastermind, who is an Afghan, was also captured,” he said.
Naqvi said the attack was “planned, trained and executed” through Daesh operatives based in Afghanistan, with foreign funding flowing “directly in dollars.”
“Let me be very clear: India is funding them. India is giving them their goals. India is planning every step for them,” the home minister said. “These organizations are on your payroll. The world may remain silent today, but the day will come when all countries will recognize who sponsors this terrorism.”
In a coordinated operation led by intelligence services, security and law enforcement agencies carried out successful raids in 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.
The Anti-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Peshawar focused its search operation early in the morning on the residence of an individual identified as Yasir. During the raid, authorities detained Yasir’s two brothers, Bilal and Nasir, along with his brother-in-law, Usman.
Investigators revealed that intercepted communications between Yasir and Usman occurred shortly before the Islamabad blast, and the three suspects are currently undergoing intensive interrogation to determine their level of involvement.
Initial findings of the investigation indicate that Yasir had spent several months in Afghanistan, where he allegedly received specialized training in weapons handling and suicide bombing techniques.
After training, he returned to Pakistan in mid-2025 to activate the cell.
The link with Daesh is confirmed
Speaking to the media, the Home Minister confirmed that a deputy sub-inspector of KP police was killed during the raids, while other personnel were injured. “But the main mastermind is linked to Daesh and is in our custody,” he said, referring to the banned Islamic State.
Naqvi said investigators had established that planning and training for the attack took place across the border.
“The planning and training for the attack was carried out by ‘Daesh Afghanistan’ and carried out in the neighboring country,” he stated. “We have people telling us details about how he (the attacker) got there and how he was trained.”
Reiterating the government’s long-standing position, he said militant groups were operating in coordination.
“We have been saying for a while that whether it is Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Afghan Taliban, Daesh or other Kharji terrorist organisations, they are all working together. Right now, 21 terrorist organisations… name any terrorist organisation, are operating from Afghanistan,” he said.
“We are in a state of war”
Naqvi called for public cooperation and said the country is facing a war-like situation. “We are in a state of war, whether in Balochistan, KP or anywhere else. Intelligence services [from] community is the most important thing,” he said, urging citizens to report suspicious activities.
“When people learn that an unknown person lives in their community, report it to the police; when this system is activated, [terror incidents] will decrease.”
Responding to criticism over the security lapses, he added: “Last night I received a message from someone asking where the security agencies were and why this incident occurred. I can tell you that if one explosion happens, another 99 will be thwarted.”
Naqvi said he had asked agencies to start sharing details of foiled attacks with the media. “It may spread panic, but I said we should share with the media which incidents were foiled,” he said.
The Home Secretary said terrorist groups were being financed and attacked from abroad. “The names of Daesh and the Taliban were coming up, but ‘someone was funding them’ and giving them targets,” he said. “They would get $500, but now they get $1,500. Someone is increasing their budget.”
“I am again saying clearly that all their funding is coming from India. India is giving them all the targets; they are planning everything behind the scenes. These organizations are in the front while India is behind,” Naqvi said.
He said Pakistan would raise the issue internationally. “Nothing happens for free,” he said, adding that since May, terrorism budgets have tripled. “We know this and it is our duty to bring this case to all international platforms.”
Naqvi said he would inform the deputy prime minister so that foreign missions could inform other countries. “They (India) now do it so openly because they know they can’t beat us in a war,” he said. “If they have adopted this tactic, then let them stop. But we will stop it; even if they increase their budget tenfold, it will have no impact.”
Similarly, referring to the recent attacks in Balochistan, Naqvi accused the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) of producing “high production value” propaganda amplified by the Indian media. “The world has declared BLA a terrorist organisation, but no one will go there (India) and ask why they are showing BLA content,” he said.
“They create content, carry out incidents and publish it on their media. It’s a whole system they have created,” he said, rejecting claims that militants had taken over the territory. “Not an inch [of land] It’s under your control.”
“We will continue to fight this war, but the world needs to realize that it is becoming a regional threat,” he warned.
The minister also accused the Indian media of amplifying the propaganda of banned groups 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 asks why.”
Naqvi acknowledged resource constraints within Pakistan’s security apparatus and said the budget was much smaller than often claimed. “I would like to be able to meet all the requirements of our security forces. There are little things that they need that I cannot provide due to financial problems.”
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 improvements for the capital, including the strengthening of 93 entry points, improvements to Islamabad’s smart security system and the recruitment of 6,000 new police officers to address the aging force.
