Bold strike in the capital city
On 11 November 2025, a suicide bomber detonated explosives outside the district court complex in the G‑11 sector of Islamabad around midday, killing at least 12 people and injuring 27 others. Witnesses reported seeing a blackened vehicle, a police van destroyed and chaos spreading among lawyers, court visitors and bystanders.
Claim of responsibility by the Tehrik‑e‑Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
The banned militant group TTP issued a statement saying it carried out the bombing, naming judges, lawyers and government officials as deliberate targets because they “uphold un‑Islamic laws”.
In the statement, the group threatened a continuation of attacks unless Pakistan implemented its version of Sharia law.
Government alarm: “state of war”
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif described the incident as a “wake‑up call” and declared the country to be in a “state of war”. He pointed to alleged sanctuaries in Afghanistan for the TTP and hinted that further military responses across the border may be “unavoidable”.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the bomber tried to breach court premises but detonated outside a police vehicle when unable to gain entry.
Why this attack stands out
- It is the most serious attack in Islamabad for years, signalling a sharp escalation of militant reach beyond Pakistan’s northwest frontier.
- The target—a judicial complex in the capital—underscores a direct challenge to Pakistan’s state institutions rather than remote military outposts.
- The attack heightens tension in the wider region, especially regarding Pakistan’s allegations that militants based in Afghanistan benefit from safe haven.
What’s next: watch for fallout
- Pakistan’s response: whether it shifts into more aggressive cross‑border operations against militant bases.
- Diplomatic ripple effects: how Afghanistan, Pakistan’s neighbours and international partners react to the TTP’s expansion into major urban zones.
- Internal stability: the impact of such attacks on Pakistani law‑enforcement capabilities, public morale and government legitimacy.
- Behaviour of the TTP: whether this marks the start of a new wave of capital‑region attacks or remains isolated.
The key takeaway
This attack is a stark indication that the insurgency in Pakistan, long centred on border regions, is expanding into the heart of the state. With the TTP openly claiming the strike and the government responding with military rhetoric, the stakes for Pakistan’s security and regional stability have just gone up significantly.
