Pakistan blames Taliban, India for suicide bombing that killed 12
What's the story
Pakistan has blamed the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, TTP) and India for a suicide bombing in Islamabad on Tuesday, which killed 12 people. The attack occurred outside the district court buildings in the G-11 area of Islamabad at around 12:39pm. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that 36 people were injured in the blast and said that the bomber tried to enter court premises but detonated his bomb after failing to do so.
War declaration
Pakistan in state of war, says defense minister
Following the attack, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif declared the country was "in a state of war." He said, "If anyone thinks that the Pakistan Army is fighting this war only in the Pak-Afghan border region and remote areas of Balochistan...today's suicide attack in Islamabad District Court is a wake-up call that this is a war for all of Pakistan."
Accusations
PM accuses India
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has blamed India for the suicide blast. He also alleged New Delhi's role in Monday's attack on a cadet college in Wana, near the border with Afghanistan. According to the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the Pakistani government's news agency, Sharif blamed "Indian-sponsored terrorist proxies" for the twin attacks. "These attacks are a continuation of India's state-sponsored terrorism aimed at destabilizing Pakistan," he was quoted by APP as saying.
Peace negotiations
Bombing complicates ongoing peace talks
The bombing complicates ongoing peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban. Turkey and Qatar have been mediating these talks, which have yet to result in a long-term agreement. Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of providing shelter and support to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters, a claim Kabul denies. The accusations have led to deadly clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Ongoing battle
Pakistan Taliban claims deadly car bomb attack
Amid the blame game, the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing that killed 12 people in Islamabad. "Our fighter attacked the judicial commission in Islamabad. Judges, lawyers and officials who carried out rulings under Pakistan's un-Islamic laws were targeted," the group said in a statement. It further threatened to carry out more attacks "until Islamic Sharia law is implemented" in the Muslim-majority country.