Pakistani newspapers and television outlets have prominently reported on the powerful explosion near Delhi's Red Fort on Monday evening that killed nine people and injured 20 others.
Several major Pakistani publications, including Dawn, Geo News, The Express Tribune, The News International, and Pakistan Today, featured the incident on their front pages and websites, underlining that the blast is being investigated under India's anti-terror law.
The Dawn
The Dawn, Pakistan's leading English daily, headlined its latest report "Delhi police say car blast being probed under anti-terrorism law." The copy quoted Indian police officials as saying that the explosion is being investigated under legislation used to combat terrorism, adding that forensic experts are examining evidence to determine the cause of what it called "the first such blast in the city in more than a decade."
In an earlier update, Dawn had reported the incident under the headline "Blast near New Delhi's Red Fort kills eight," noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reviewed the situation with Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior officials.
Geo News
Geo News carried a similar headline, "Delhi car blast being probed under anti-terrorism law," and highlighted that the investigation is being led by Indian authorities under provisions related to terrorism.
The Express Tribune
The Express Tribune, another major Pakistani daily, described the explosion as a "mysterious car blast near Delhi's Red Fort," reporting that at least eight people were killed and 20 injured. The paper noted that the incident prompted authorities to place several major cities and transport hubs, including Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh, on high alert.
The News International
Meanwhile, The News International reported the story with the headline "India probe Delhi car explosion under anti-terror law," emphasising the rarity of such attacks in Delhi and the subsequent high alert imposed across multiple states.
Pakistan Today
Pakistan Today also featured the story prominently under the headline "Explosion near Red Fort in Delhi kills eight and injures 20." The outlet cited Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha as saying that nearby vehicles caught fire following the explosion, and reported that authorities had arrested the car's previous owner, Salman, in connection with the probe.
Hyundai i20 Explosion
Notably, the blast occurred at around 6:52 pm on Monday when a slow-moving Hyundai i20 exploded near the Red Fort Metro Station in the national capital. Investigators have since invoked provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as forensic and intelligence inputs suggested links to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
Sources said that Umar Mohammad, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, owned the car, a white Hyundai i20, and is believed to have been driving the car when the blast was triggered.
Umar, a doctor by profession, has also been a member of a radical doctors' group that coordinated on Telegram and has links to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a Pakistan-based terror group, sources said.
A man named Tariq from Pulwama is said to have given the car to Umar. Tariq is now also under police custody.
Hours before the blast in Delhi, the police recovered 2,900 kg of explosives and inflammable material from two rented rooms of a Kashmiri doctor, Muzammil Shakeel, in Haryana's Faridabad.
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