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Pakistan says India provides financial support to terrorists, Afghan mastermind of Islamabad suicide bombing arrested

By Imran Nasir

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said Sunday that India is providing financial support to terrorist groups in the region and security forces have arrested the mastermind and facilitators behind a recent suicide bombing in the capital Islamabad, describing the operation as a major counterterrorism success.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Naqvi praised the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for conducting overnight raids in Peshawar and Nowshera that led to the arrests. “Four facilitators have been detained, including the Daesh mastermind, an Afghan national who came from Afghanistan and planned the Islamabad attack,” he said.

Naqvi added that one police assistant sub-inspector was martyred and three others were wounded when suspects opened fire during the operation. He said the attackers had not anticipated that Pakistani agencies would track them down so quickly.

The minister alleged that as many as 21 militant groups are currently operating from Afghanistan and claimed they receive financial backing from India. He added that funding for militants had increased since May last year, with payments rising from about $500 to $1,500 per fighter.

Naqvi warned that Pakistan is acting as “a wall” against terrorism and urged the international community to cooperate in countering militant threats. “If this wall is weakened, no one will remain safe,” he said, cautioning that extremist groups could expand their operations beyond the region.

Referring to a recent attack in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province by terrorists , Naqvi said that videos of the attacks appeared on Indian media within minutes, suggesting coordination between attackers and Indian handlers.

He also accused militants of using social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to disseminate propaganda. Pakistani authorities have shared details of the accounts with the company but say they have not yet been removed, prompting officials to consider alternative measures.

The arrests come amid heightened security concerns following the suicide bombing in Islamabad, as authorities continue investigations into the broader network behind the attack.