Naqvi says Daesh mastermind of Islamabad blast held, cites India link

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi says the alleged mastermind of the Islamabad imambargah suicide attack, linked to the banned Daesh group, has been taken into custody along with facilitators involved in the plot.

Speaking at a press briefing in Islamabad, Naqvi stated that raids carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—particularly in Peshawar and Nowshera—led to arrests soon after the incident. He said the operation involved coordination between the KP Counter Terrorism Department and other security agencies.

The minister’s remarks followed the deadly attack at an Islamabad imambargah during prayers, which left dozens of people dead and injured. Naqvi also claimed foreign involvement, alleging that India is funding and assigning targets to militant networks, and said authorities have evidence related to how the attacker was trained and moved.

Naqvi added that during the post-attack raids, a KP police officer was killed and others were wounded. He said Pakistan would continue counterterror operations regardless of any increase in militant funding.

He also urged action against extremist-linked online activity, calling on social media platforms to shut accounts used by militant groups, warning that other measures could be considered if platforms do not comply.