Pakistan mosque attack: Witnesses recount blast during Friday prayers in Islamabad

A worshipper at the Imam Bargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque in Islamabad described an “extremely powerful” explosion just after Friday prayers began, killing dozens.

Muhammad Kazim, 52, told AFP he was seated seven or eight rows from the Imam when the blast hit.

“During the first bow of the Namaz, we heard gunfire. And while we were still in the bowing position, an explosion occurred,” Kazim said outside the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where many wounded were treated.

Debris fell from the roof, windows shattered, and bodies were scattered outside, he added. Kazim escaped unharmed but accompanied a wounded friend to the hospital.

Another worshipper, Imran Mahmood, described a gunfight between the suicide bomber, a possible accomplice, and volunteer security personnel at the mosque.

“The suicide attacker was trying to move forward, but one of our injured volunteers fired at him from behind, hitting him in the thigh,” Mahmood said.

“He fell but got up again. Another man accompanying him opened fire on our volunteers, then the attacker jumped onto the gate and detonated the explosives.”

As of Saturday morning, at least 31 people were confirmed dead and 169 wounded. The attack marks the deadliest in Islamabad since a 2008 suicide truck bombing at the Marriott hotel that killed 60 people.

Kazim criticised the lack of proper security at the mosque. “Volunteers manage security on their own, but they lack the necessary equipment,” he said. “The government should take this seriously and provide adequate security.”

After the blast, unhurt worshippers rushed to help the wounded, carrying victims in car trunks while ambulances arrived 20–25 minutes later. Authorities restricted access to the mosque following the attack.