At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured after a blast struck a religious centre in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Friday, officials and local media said.
The explosion occurred at the Tarlai Imambargah, a Shia mosque in the Shehzad Town area. Police and rescue teams rushed to the site and launched relief operations as hospitals in the city declared an emergency. The injured were shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Polyclinic Hospital for treatment.
Islamabad Capital Territory Police spokesperson Taqi Jawad said it was too early to confirm whether the blast was a suicide attack or caused by a planted explosive device, adding that forensic teams were examining the site. The attack took place during the two-day official visit of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Pakistan.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the blast and directed authorities to ensure the best medical care for the injured. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also denounced the attack, calling for national unity and solidarity with law-enforcement agencies.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion. Militant outfits, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamic State-linked groups, have previously carried out attacks on Shia worshippers in the country. The incident comes less than three months after a suicide bombing outside a district and sessions court building in Islamabad killed 12 people and injured 30 in November 2025.
Authorities said security had been tightened across the capital as investigations continued.
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