The Pakistani government on Tuesday leveled serious accusations against Afghanistan-based militants, declaring that the deadly November 11 suicide bombing at Islamabad’s Judicial Complex was entirely planned, directed, and executed by the leadership of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating from across the border.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, during a press conference in the capital, stated that investigators had compiled ‘clear and irrefutable evidence’ linking the TTP hierarchy in Afghanistan to the blast that claimed 12 lives and left 35 others wounded.
The minister asserted that the devastating incident was masterminded by TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud. He detailed that the suicide attacker and the individuals who guided him were all based in the neighboring country. ‘This attack was planned inside Afghanistan, executed through Afghan handlers, and facilitated by TTP commanders operating openly across the border,’ Tarar said.
In a significant breakthrough, Tarar revealed that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) apprehended four facilitators within 48 hours of the explosion. The detained individuals were identified as Sajidullah alias Sheena, Kamran Khan, Muhammad Zali, and Shah Munir.
A video confession of Sajidullah, described as the operation’s main handler, was shown to the media. According to investigators, Sajidullah joined the TTP in 2015, received training in Afghanistan, and was in encrypted communication with TTP commander Daadullah.
The minister elaborated on Sajidullah’s activities, noting he traveled to Afghanistan in August 2025 and met with Daadullah in Kunar and later in Kabul. During these meetings, he purportedly received direct operational instructions from TTP leader Noor Wali Mehsud himself. Sajidullah was responsible for arranging the bomber’s suicide vest, transporting him to Islamabad, and directing him to the target.
The suicide attacker was formally identified as Usman Shinwari, a resident of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, further cementing the cross-border connection alleged by officials.
‘These terrorists failed to hit their primary high-security targets,’ Tarar noted. ‘By the grace of God, a far larger tragedy was averted.’
Officials attribute the assault to Fitna-ul-Khawarij, a network linked to the TTP that Islamabad claims is an Indian-sponsored and Afghan-facilitated group also responsible for other recent acts of violence, including the attack on Wana Cadet College.
‘This entire plot was directed from Afghan soil. Their handlers, trainers, and leadership are operating freely there,’ Tarar declared, criticizing the Afghan Taliban for what he described as their failure to restrain anti-Pakistan insurgents.
Pakistan has witnessed a significant spike in terrorist incidents since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. The majority of these assaults have targeted security forces and civilians, primarily in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, with officials citing an intensification of militant activity from Afghan territory in recent months.