Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday that the mastermind behind the deadly suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad’s Tarlai area is an Afghan national affiliated with the banned Daesh group and has been arrested by security agencies.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Naqvi said the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) had arrested the mastermind along with all individuals involved in the attack.

A suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad’s Tarlai area during Friday prayers killed at least 32 worshippers and injured more than 169 others.

Naqvi said four facilitators were also arrested during raids in Peshawar and Nowshera, adding that a police assistant sub-inspector (ASI) was martyred during the operation.

The interior minister said the planning of the attack was carried out in Afghanistan, where at least 21 terrorist organisations are currently operating.

“These terrorists work for money and are being funded by India,” Naqvi said, alleging foreign involvement in destabilising Pakistan.

He said Pakistan was in a “state of war” against terrorism and stressed the need for public cooperation to curb militancy.

“Our security agencies are continuously foiling the malicious designs of terrorists,” he said.

Naqvi further claimed that India was behind such activities after facing defeat in previous conflicts and said the matter should be raised at all international forums.

“Regardless of how large India’s budget is, we will win this war as well,” he said, adding that Pakistan had never supported terrorism and would respond through diplomacy as well.