The explosion occurred at Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra in the Tarlai area of the federal capital. Police and Rescue 1122 personnel reached the site of the incident and initiated rescue operations.
The attack comes during the two-day official visit of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Islamabad Capital Territory Police Spokesperson Taqi Jawad said it was too soon to ascertain the nature of the blast and forensics teams would need to determine whether it was a suicide or a planted bomb.
The district administration spokesperson said the site of the blast has been completely sealed off by security personnel, and added assistant commissioners have been assigned to oversee the treatment of the injured at various hospitals.
An emergency was also imposed at the federal capital’s Polyclinic, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), and CDA Hospital.
On the directives of the executive director (ED) Pims, an emergency has been enforced at the hospital, a spokesperson confirmed to Dawn.
The main emergency, orthopaedic, burn centre, and neurology departments have been activated, he added. The injured are being shifted to Pims and Polyclinic Hospital.
President Asif Ali Zardari extended condolences to the victims who lost their lives in the blast, according to a statement issued by the PPP on X.
He expressed grief over the incident, saying, “Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity”.
The president prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and directed that all possible medical facilities be provided to them.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry strongly condemned the attack in a post on social media platform X, expressing grief over the loss of lives in the “cowardly act”.
He extended condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the recovery of the injured.
“Such acts of terrorism cannot dampen the morale of the nation. The need of the hour is that we all stand united for peace, tolerance, and stability, and express solidarity with law enforcement agencies,” the minister stressed.
Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the incident.
“Such an incident of terrorism in the federal capital is not just a proof of the grave failure to protect human lives, but it also is a big question mark on the performance of the administration and law enforcement agencies,” he said in a post on X.
Abbas strongly condemned the attack and extended condolences to the families of the deceased.“Targeting places of worship is a direct attack on humanity, religion and social values, which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances,” he said.
He also appealed to the youth in Islamabad to donate blood at hospitals and “play their part in saving precious lives”.
Today’s incident comes less than three months after a suicide blast outside a district and sessions court building in Islamabad’s G-11 area on November 11, 2025. Twelve people were killed and more than 30 were injured in the blast.