ISLAMABAD: The interior minister of Pakistan, Mohsin Naqvi has said that security forces have arrested all those involved in a recent alleged suicide bomb attack that targeted Tarlai masjid in the capital city, including an Afghan national mastermind linked to the banned terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) group.
The suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque in Tarlai Kalan on Friday, martyred 33 people and injured scores of others.
Talking to reporters in Islamabad, Interior minister, Mohsion Naqvi confirmed that the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) had netted four facilitators of the blast during raids in Nowshera and Peshawar. He added that one security official was martyred and several others were injured during the operations.
The interior minister revealed that the attack was planned by ISIS Afghanistan with the backing of India, and both the planning and training were carried out across the border. He said investigators traced the suspects through the attacker’s travel history.
Mohsin Naqvi claimed that as many as 21 militant organisations are currently operating from Afghan territory, and that the entire network of ISIS linked to this attack had now been uncovered. He said the suspects had previously conducted a recce but failed to attack at that time.
The interior minister also said that India is behind terrorism in the region, providing funding and targets to militant groups operating in Pakistan. He claimed militants who were previously paid 500 US dollars were now receiving up to 1,500 dollars by India, and alleged that India had increased its security-related budget threefold after war in May.
Mohsin Naqvi further stated that content linked to the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) appears online before attacks take place and is later broadcast by Indian media. He said Pakistan had evidence showing how attackers were brought into the country.
He also warned that militants were using advanced weapons and technology left behind by US forces in Afghanistan, and acknowledged that Pakistan needed to upgrade its own systems more rapidly, promising to address financial constraints and meet the needs of security institutions.
Describing the security situation in KP and Balochistan as a “state of war”, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stressed the importance of community intelligence and urged citizens to report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
He said Pakistan would continue upgrading its counterterrorism systems in an effort to prevent future attacks.