Pakistan has arrested four men linked to an Afghan cell following a deadly suicide bombing outside a district court in Islamabad, officials confirmed on November 14, 2025. The attack, claimed by a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), killed 12 people and wounded dozens, marking one of the deadliest incidents in the capital in recent years.

Details of the Arrests

According to a Pakistani government statement, the detained men were guided by the TTP high command based in Afghanistan. The cell’s alleged commander, Saeed-ur-Rehman (aka Daadullah), along with three others, are now in custody.

“Investigations are continuing, and more revelations and arrests are expected,” the statement read.

Authorities identified the suicide bomber as Usman alias Qari, a resident of Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed the bomber’s Afghan nationality during a Senate session.

Another suspect, Sajid Ullah, reportedly told investigators that Daadullah, a Pakistan Taliban commander in hiding in Afghanistan, orchestrated the attack through the Telegram messaging app, sending photographs of the bomber with instructions to receive him upon entering Pakistan.

Security Response

The arrests were made in a joint operation conducted by Pakistan’s Intelligence Bureau and Counter-Terrorism Department, though the government did not disclose the exact locations. Islamabad has generally been spared from major violence in recent years, with the last suicide attack recorded in December 2022.

However, officials warn that Pakistan faces a resurgence of violence linked to armed groups allegedly sheltered in Afghanistan. Naqvi also implicated Afghan nationals in a recent attack on Cadet College Wana, where gunmen stormed a military-linked school in northwest Pakistan, killing three soldiers and all attackers during a nearly 20-hour battle.

Rising Tensions Between Islamabad and Kabul

The arrests come amid deteriorating Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, following a series of cross-border attacks that have killed over 70 people, including dozens of Afghan civilians, according to the United Nations. While the two countries agreed to a fragile ceasefire, negotiations have stalled, and each side has blamed the other for impeding progress.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Islamabad attack in parliament, calling it a “horrific act of terrorism.”

“We want peace. We want Afghanistan to agree and be a partner in peace. We believe what’s good for Pakistan is good for them … but we cannot believe lies and not rein in terrorists,” Sharif said.

The recent developments risk escalating cross-border hostilities, with Pakistan emphasizing the need for Afghan cooperation to control militant activity within its borders.