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Sunday, 8 February, 2026 | 19 Sha’ban, 1447
Rs 20.00 | Vol XVI No 215 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
MASTERMIND, FACILITATORS OF ‘INDIAN-SPONSORED’ ISLAMABAD IMAMBARAGH ATTACK LASSOED FROM KP: NAQVI
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INTERIOR MINISTER SAYS ISLAMABAD IMAMBARGAH SUICIDE ATTACK TRACED TO TERROR GROUPS BEING ‘FINANCED, DIRECTED’ BY INDIA AND OPERATING FROM AFGHAN SOIL
SAYS FOUR FACILITATORS AND AFGHAN MASTERMIND ARRESTED IN KP RAIDS, LAUDING KP CTD AND POLICE FOR SWIFT JOINT OPERATIONS
CALLS INCIDENT A ‘TEST CASE’ FOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS, SAYS RAIDS CONDUCTED IN PESHAWAR AND NOWSHERA SUCCESSFULLY NEUTRALIZE KEY SUSPECTS
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ISLAMABAD
saleem Jadoon
EDERAL Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday accused India of “financing and directing” terrorist networks operating from Afghan soil, revealing that four facilitators of the Islamabad imambargah suicide attack— including the main mastermind—had been arrested during raids in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Operations were underway throughout the night to trace those behind the attack, and all individuals linked to the incident, including the mastermind, were apprehended by around 3 a.m.,” Naqvi said, highlighting the joint efforts of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police. Speaking to the media in Islamabad, the interior minister praised all
security agencies for their swift response, describing the incident as a “test case” for the country’s counterterrorism apparatus. “Following the blast, raids were conducted in Nowshera and Peshawar, during which four facilitators were arrested. The mastermind, an Afghan national, was also taken into custody,” he said. He said that an assistant sub-inspector of KP police was martyred during the raids, while others were injured. “But the main mastermind is linked to Daesh and is in our custody,” he said, referring to the banned so-called Islamic State. Addressing a press conference, Naqvi said the attack was “planned, trained, and executed” by Daesh operatives based in Afghanistan, with foreign funding allegedly flowing in “directly in dollars.”
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Funeral prayers held for Tarlai imambargah martyrs amid tight security ISLAMABAD
staff report
Funeral prayers for the victims of the deadly terrorist attack on an imambargah in Islamabad’s Tarlai area were offered on Saturday amid stringent security arrangements at Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra and Jamia-e-Sadiq. The prayers were led by Sheikh Muhammad Shifa Najafi, cleric of Imambargah Jamia-e-Sadiq, and were attended by a large number of mourners, including Inspector General of Police Islamabad Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi. Imamia Scouts presented a ceremonial salute to the martyrs, while police
maintained a heavy presence and enforced strict security measures. All participants were thoroughly searched before being allowed entry into the premises. Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir, former adviser to the prime minister Nadeem Afzal Chan, and several political, religious and social figures were also present. Relatives of the martyrs participated in the prayers amid scenes of grief and sorrow. Addressing mourners before the funeral, Allama Raja Nasir said the community remained peaceful and united despite the tragedy. “This is not a Sunni-Shia issue.
‘Terror resurgence’: Tarar accusation sparks fierce pTi backlash LAHORE
staff report
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Saturday blamed the PTI for the resurgence of terrorism in Pakistan, prompting a sharp response from the party, which insisted that the spike in attacks is a direct consequence of the governance of the PML-N and its allied parties. Tarar made the remarks while addressing a press conference alongside religious scholars in Lahore, un-
derlining solidarity and unity in the wake of Friday’s suicide attack at an Islamabad imambargah. When asked whether the blast indicated a failure of security agencies, Tarar firmly rejected the suggestion. “No, not at all,” he said, emphasizing that Pakistan’s security institutions are internationally recognized as models of effectiveness, recalling the safe recovery of abducted passengers during the deadly Jaffar Express attack with minimal casualties. The minister also referenced the May 2025 Pak-
India conflict, stating, “The enemy was brought to its knees, sought mediation, and said ‘I’m sorry’.” He added that while Friday’s terrorist attack in the outskirts of Islamabad—despite the presence of the Safe City system and full deployment of security forces—was tragic, it was not a security lapse. “I did not want to politicize this, but recall Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad and Zarb-i-Azb, when suicide bombings had stopped and peace was restored in Karachi and elsewhere in the country,” he said.
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Kites and victory cries fill Lahore skies as festival returns after long ban LAHORE
agencies
Extravagantly colored kites dueled above Lahore and cries of victory rang out from rooftops on Friday, as the city celebrated the lifting of an 18-year ban on a spectacular three-day traditional Punjabi kite-flying festival. The Basant, a festival marking the onset of spring, was banned in 2008 after deaths and injuries to motorcyclists and pedestrians from stray kite strings — sometimes coated with metal to make them more fearsome in mid-air battles. The ban was lifted last year due to public demand, and this year’s festival kicked off at midnight with Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari flying the first kite. Families and friends crammed through the night onto the rooftops of the Walled City and other neighborhoods, flying kites, beating drums and shouting out “bo-kata!,” or “hacked!,” the victor’s cry after severing an opponent’s string. Abdul Aziz, 57, a self-described kite-flying addict, had been bereft during the ban. “Today, when I dropped the first kite in air, I felt as if there was a space in my life that was now filled.” Sharmeen Mehmood, 55, an avid kite-flyer since she was 10, said the action had been at its most exciting in the darkness, slowing down with dawn as rooftop revelers sought some rest and the wind eased off, but expected to pick up again later. The government has banned metallic or chemicalcoated killer strings. Kites and strings must bear individual QR codes so they can be traced, and motorcyclists must attach safety rods to their bikes to fend off stray thread. Some 4,600 producers registered with the authorities to sell kites and strings. District government spokesperson Haris Ali told Reuters that rooftops with 30 or more revelers must also be registered, and dozens of roofs had been declared off-limits after inspections.