Suicide Bomber in Islamabad Attack Was a Pakistani National, Says Khawaja Asif

**Islamabad (Qudrat Daily):** Defence Minister **Khawaja Muhammad Asif** has stated that the suicide bomber involved in the Islamabad attack was a **Pakistani citizen** who had travelled to **Afghanistan some time ago**.

Speaking on Geo News programme *Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath*, Khawaja Asif said that **India is attempting to destabilise peace in Pakistan through proxies**. He added that the attacker had arrived in Islamabad from **Nowshera either a day earlier or on the same day**, and authorities have already traced the bomber’s relatives.

The defence minister said the attack was an attempt to **hinder Pakistan’s progress**, adding that dialogue with Afghanistan has not yielded significant results. He alleged that India is now trying to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan through Afghan territory.

Khawaja Asif further said that the timing of the attack was deliberately chosen when Pakistan had recently signed agreements with **two countries**. He added that there is coordination between the federal government and the **Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government** on counter-terrorism efforts, and that the KP government appears to be taking ownership of the fight against terrorism.

He confirmed that **31 people were martyred and around 150 injured** in the suicide attack, adding, “After defeating India directly, we will now defeat its proxies as well.”