India-Afghanistan Denies Involvement in Mosque Bombing in Pakistan

Suicide bomb attack on a mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan/PHOTO Welshlamping via Wikimedia Commons

India and Afghanistan have condemned the bombing in Islamabad, Pakistan, while denying accusations of involvement in the attack that killed 31 people.

"We condemn the bombing of a mosque in Islamabad today and express our condolences for the loss of life it caused," the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a written statement.

The attack took place at the Imambargah Khadijah-tul-Kubra, a Shia Muslim place of worship in the Shehzad Town area of Islamabad, during Friday prayers, leaving 31 dead and 169 others injured.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's spokesperson for foreign media, Mosharraf Zaidi, earlier said the attack "is the latest in a series of murderous terror acts orchestrated by India."

"Indian terrorist proxies will not slow down the economic recovery, will not break the hearts of the Pakistani people, and will not weaken Pakistan's growing diplomatic capital," Zaidi said on the X platform.

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif wrote on X that security officers had intercepted the perpetrator, who then fired at the congregation and blew himself up in the back row. He also accused India and Afghanistan of involvement.

However, the allegation was denied by the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"India rejects all such allegations, which are completely baseless and meaningless," the ministry said. "It is unfortunate... Pakistan chooses to fool itself by blaming others."

Afghanistan also denied its involvement in the attack.

"The Afghan government is committed to Islamic values and has never justified the killing or injuring of civilians for political purposes, nor supported perpetrators of such illegal acts," the Afghan Defense Ministry said on X.