‘Home-grown ills’: India hits back at Pakistan after Islamabad mosque attack

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “The bombing at an Islamabad mosque earlier today is condemnable and India condoles the loss of life it has caused.”

“It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills. India rejects any and every such allegation, which is as baseless as it is pointless,” the statement added.

India’s response came after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif claimed the attacker had links to Afghanistan and alleged an emerging nexus between the Afghan Taliban and India.

“It has been proved the terrorist involved in the attack travelled to and from Afghanistan. The collusion between India and Afghanistan is being revealed,” Asif wrote on X, as quoted by WION.

Meanwhile, the Islamic State (IS) terror group has claimed responsibility for the suicide blast at a mosque in Pakistan’s capital that left at least 69 people dead on Friday, according to media reports.

IS said one of its militants targeted the congregation, detonating an explosive vest and “inflicting a large number of deaths and injuries,” the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist communications, told The Japan Times.

The bombing struck the Tarlai Imambargah, a Shia place of worship in the Shehzad Town area, during afternoon prayers. More than 160 people were injured in what is being described as one of the deadliest attacks in the country in recent months, amid a surge in violence.

Pakistani media reported that the attacker set off the explosives at the main gate of the shrine. The powerful blast caused extensive damage to the entrance and nearby buildings, shattering windows and scattering debris across the road.

The attack came less than three months after a suicide bombing outside a district and sessions court in Islamabad on November 11, 2025, which killed 12 people and injured more than 30.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, expressing “deep grief” over the loss of life. In a statement, he said the government stands with the victims and their families and directed authorities to ensure swift medical treatment for the injured.