Islamabad: An emotional video has surfaced from outside Islamabad’s Qasr-e-Khadijatul Qubra Mosque, where a suicide blast left at least 69 people dead and more than 150 injured.
The video shows an elderly man crying inconsolably near the blast site. He can be seen holding bottles of packaged drinking water in his hands and weeping. He can be heard questioning, "Allah ka sajdha karna jurum hai?" and crying, which roughly translates to, "Is praying to God a crime?" Rescue personnel and police can be seen in the background, while some men are seen trying to comfort him.
At least 69 people were killed and 169 injured after a suicide bomber detonated himself inside a shrine in Pakistan’s capital. The explosion took place at Tarlai Imambargah, located in the Shehzad Town area of the city. The attack occurred during the two-day official visit of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
According to local media reports, a suicide bomber detonated explosives at the main gate of the Shia place of worship during the afternoon hours.
Reportedly, the attacker appears to have been stopped by alert guards at the entrance, preventing him from entering the main hall where worshippers had gathered.
Despite the interception, visuals from the blast site showed that the explosion caused heavy damage to the gate structure and shattered windows of nearby buildings, with debris scattered across the road. Bodies were also seen in the videos.
President Asif Ali Zardari offered condolences to those who lost their lives, according to a statement released by the PPP on X. He mourned the tragedy, stating that targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity.
In November last year, a suicide bomber detonated explosives at the entrance of the Islamabad District Judicial Complex, leaving at least 12 people dead and dozens injured.
