Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolences to President Asif Ali Zardari over last week’s deadly terrorist attack in Islamabad, reaffirming Beijing’s support for Pakistan in its fight against terrorism.
According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, Xi strongly condemned the violence and described the assault as a terrorist act targeting innocent civilians. He expressed sympathy for the victims and their families and emphasized that China would continue to stand by Pakistan in efforts to maintain security and stability.
The message followed Friday’s attack in which an assailant opened fire at the entrance of an Imambargah in Islamabad before detonating a suicide bomb. The explosion killed at least 31 people, making it the deadliest attack in the capital in more than a decade. Security agencies continue to investigate the incident as authorities tighten measures across the city.
Death toll rises as injured victims succumb
Meanwhile, the death toll from the blast at the Khadija Al-Kubra Mosque in the Tarlai area of Islamabad continued to rise after two more injured victims died from their wounds. Hospital officials confirmed that Ali Naqi Bosan, who was critically injured in the explosion, passed away after undergoing treatment.
Bosan was initially admitted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences before his family transferred him to a private hospital, where he remained under care for two days. His death brought the number of martyrs from the attack to 35, according to initial reports.
Tragically, Bosan’s father, Farman Ali Bosan, was also killed in the same explosion. Both belonged to Ratodero in Sindh. Family members said Ali Naqi Bosan would be buried alongside his father in Islamabad. He was the nephew of Altaf Bosan, an adviser to the Polio Eradication Program.
Separately, the Polyclinic Hospital confirmed the death of another injured victim, Syed Aqeel Abbas. Despite surgery and intensive care treatment, he succumbed to his injuries on Monday. His body was later shifted to Imambargah Al-Sadiq in G-9.
