Rawalpindi’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Thursday arrested seven individuals alleged to have facilitated the suicide bombing outside Islamabad’s Judicial Complex on November 11, which killed 12 people and injured 36. The arrests took place in Rawalpindi’s Fauji Colony and Dhoke Kashmirian, while a separate raid was conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
A key development came with the detention of the facilitator, who had been living in Rawalpindi for a month, and the handler, arrested from KP. Sources revealed that both suspects, along with the suicide bomber, had visited the Judicial Complex multiple times before the attack to survey the area. They have been moved to an undisclosed location for interrogation.
Earlier, police had arrested the motorcyclist who transported the bomber to the Judicial Complex in Islamabad’s G-11 sector. According to authorities, the rider, working for an online ride-hailing service, dropped off the bomber for a fare of Rs200 after being traced via Safe City CCTV cameras. The attacker detonated explosives near a police vehicle, causing multiple cars to catch fire and scattering debris across the area.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry confirmed that the suicide bomber was an Afghan national, noting that he neither spoke Pakistan’s languages nor understood the local currency. “Pakistan is a responsible state and does not blame others needlessly,” Chaudhry stated, adding that evidence pointed to involvement from both Afghanistan and India.
The attack coincided with several international events in the capital, including the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference and the 6th Margalla Dialogue, as well as a cricket match in Rawalpindi. The timing and location of the blast have been described by security officials as sending a deliberate message.
The incident follows a series of attacks, including a bomb targeting security personnel in Dera Ismail Khan and an assault on Cadet College Wana in South Waziristan, where all terrorists were neutralised, but three security personnel were martyred.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned of a potential military response, describing Pakistan as being “in a state of war,” and highlighted the ongoing threat posed by cross-border terrorism. Pakistan has faced increasing attacks from militants operating out of Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. KP alone recorded over 600 terror incidents in the first eight months of 2025, resulting in at least 138 civilian and 79 police deaths.
Authorities continue to investigate the Islamabad attack, tracking the movements of the bomber and his accomplices, while security has been heightened across court premises and other sensitive locations nationwide.