‘Irresponsible, baseless’: Afghanistan rejects Pakistan’s allegations about Islamabad mosque attack

Kabul: Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defence has rejected Pakistan’s allegations regarding the attack at a mosque in Islamabad, terming them “irresponsible and baseless” and urging Pakistani officials to take responsibility for their internal security shortcomings, local media reported.

Afghanistan’s statement comes after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, in a post on X, mentioned that preliminary findings indicate that the attacker had been on the move to and from Afghanistan.

In the statement, the Afghan National Defence Ministry said that Asif “immediately and irresponsibly” blamed Afghanistan for the attack without carrying out proper investigations. Afghanistan authorities stated that this pattern was witnessed in the past as well, especially regarding incidents in Balochistan and other security incidents in Pakistan, Afghanistan’s Ariana News reported.

The ministry stated that connecting such attacks with Afghanistan “has no logic or foundation”, adding that these statements cannot hide the internal security failures of Pakistan or help address the problem. In the statement, the ministry questioned: “If they were truly able to identify the perpetrators immediately after the incident, then why were they unable to prevent it beforehand?”

It expressed its commitment to Islamic values, which do not permit harming innocent civilians under any circumstances and asked Pakistani security officials to take responsibility for their internal security shortcomings, review their policies and implement a more constructive and cooperative approach towards people of Pakistan and neighbouring nations, Ariana News reported.

As many as 36 people were killed in the suicide bombing that took place in Islamabad on Friday, local media reported, citing hospital officials. The attack took place at Imambargah Qasr-i-Khadijatul Kubra in the Tarlai area on the city’s outskirts during Friday prayers, Pakistani daily Dawn reported. More than 160 people were injured in the attack.

Meanwhile, authorities have identified the suspected attacker as a resident of Peshawar who allegedly underwent militant training in Afghanistan, local media reported.

According to preliminary findings shared by sources associated with the investigation, the attacker, identified as Yasir Khan Yasir, had reportedly stayed in Afghanistan for nearly five months before returning to Pakistan, Pakistan’s The Express Tribune reported.

Investigators are also exploring potential connections between the suspect and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), though officials have stressed that the investigation is still at a preliminary stage and no final conclusions have been drawn.

Sources indicated that Yasir Khan, who was reportedly influenced by the Salafi school of thought, is believed to have received militant training during his stay across the border.

“He received training at the Mansoor Istashhadi training centre in Afghanistan’s northeastern Kunar province and travelled to and from the country multiple times,” a source told The Express Tribune.

IANS