Pakistan Arrests Four TTP Members Connected to Deadly Islamabad Court Suicide Bombing

Pakistani authorities have announced the capture of four terrorists allegedly involved in the deadly suicide bombing at an Islamabad district court. The attack claimed 12 lives and left 28 people wounded.

The apprehended individuals are believed to be members of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an organization that maintains close ties with the Afghanistan Taliban while operating independently. According to government statements on social media platform X, one suspect named Sajid Ullah reportedly handled the explosive device used in Tuesday's court attack.

The arrests resulted from collaborative efforts between Pakistan's Intelligence Bureau and Counter-Terrorism Department.

This development follows Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's statement that Afghan nationals were responsible for recent suicide bombings in both Islamabad and northwestern Pakistan.

During interrogation, Ullah revealed that TTP commander Saeed-ur-Rehman (also known as Daadullah) orchestrated the Islamabad attack through Telegram messaging. The commander allegedly sent Ullah photographs of the suicide bomber, an Afghan citizen from Nangarhar province, with instructions to receive him after his border crossing into Pakistan.

Ullah arranged accommodation for the attacker near Islamabad and subsequently collected an explosive suicide vest from a Peshawar graveyard following Daadullah's directives before transporting it to the capital.

Government sources indicate that Daadullah, originally from Pakistan's Bajaur region, belongs to TTP's intelligence division and is currently hiding in Afghanistan.

Interior Minister Naqvi confirmed on Thursday that Afghan citizens participated in both Tuesday's Islamabad bombing and Monday's attack in Wana, where gunmen infiltrated a cadet college, initiating a nearly 20-hour gun battle that resulted in the deaths of three soldiers and all attackers.

These violent incidents highlight Pakistan's deteriorating security situation amid resurgent militancy, strained relations with Afghanistan's Taliban government, and a precarious cross-border ceasefire.

Prior to Tuesday's explosion, Islamabad had been considered relatively safer than the country's northwest region, which has experienced persistent violence.

The arrests occurred shortly after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended an offer for dialogue with Afghanistan's Taliban leadership while urging Kabul to control TTP activities.

On Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi expressed gratitude to Qatar and Turkey for facilitating Pakistan-Afghanistan talks, affirming Islamabad's commitment to resolving issues with Kabul through dialogue.

"Pakistan has never eschewed dialogue with any government in Kabul," Andrabi stated, adding that when Taliban assumed power in Afghanistan, Pakistan anticipated the new government would eventually control attacks originating from Afghan territory.

"During these years, Pakistan also tried to positively engage with the Afghan Taliban regime, offering bilateral trade assistance, bilateral trade concessions and humanitarian assistance," he noted, while pointing out that despite Pakistan's positive gestures, Afghanistan's Taliban government has responded with "only hollow promises and inaction."

Kabul has not immediately responded to Andrabi's remarks.

Andrabi suggested that Kabul is attempting to misrepresent terrorists hiding in Afghanistan as refugees, stating: "This is not a humanitarian or refugee crisis but a ploy to frame terrorists as refugees."

He observed that within the Afghan Taliban, certain elements prefer avoiding confrontation with Pakistan, while "a strong lobby with monetary support from foreign actors has been tasked to stoke tension."

These individuals, according to Andrabi, have "engaged in abuses and outrageous allegations against Pakistan and, in doing so, they are fast eroding whatever goodwill they had within Pakistan."