Pakistan latest: India rejects 'baseless' allegations after bomb attack at Pakistan mosque kills dozens

We're pausing our live coverage of the bomb attack in Pakistan's capital city.

As of 9pm in Islamabad, officials have said 31 people were killed and 169 hurt after an explosion ripped through the Khadija Tul Kubra mosque.

The attack, which occurred as worshippers gathered for morning prayer, has been widely condemned by Pakistan and countries including the US, UK, Turkey and neighbouring Afghanistan.

Scroll back through this live page to catch up on all the details.

India's foreign ministry has hit back at allegations from Pakistan that it was involved in today's bomb attack in Islamabad.

In a post on X today, Pakistan's defence minster Khawaja Asif accused India of using "proxies" against Pakistan, without providing evidence.

He said: "The threads of the alliance between India and the Taliban are being uncovered."

In a statement on X, the Indian foreign ministry says the attack is "condemnable" and India "condoles the loss of life it caused".

It adds: "It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills.

"India rejects any and every such allegation, which is as baseless as it is pointless."

A man whose brother was killed during today's attack in Islamabad has described the scenes he saw outside the mosque.

Sarfraz Shah, 46, said he had attended the Khadija Tul Kubra mosque with his younger brother, Manzar Shah, 39, as he did every Friday.

"I heard the gunshots and I was just trying to make sense of what ‌had happened when there was a massive explosion," he told Reuters news agency.

"It threw people here and there. There was smoke. No one knew what had happened. Then there was blood everywhere," Shah said."

He added that there ‌was no sign of his brother anywhere but when he came to the hospital he discovered that Manzar was among those killed. 

Shahid Malik, a police official who was involved in shifting the injured people and dead bodies to hospital, said what he had witnessed was a nightmare. 

"I have seen many crime scenes. But this was horrible, very horrible," he said. 

More countries are coming out to express their anger at today's attack in Islamabad.

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney says he's "horrified" to learn of the bombing.

"Canadians are keeping the people of Pakistan, the victims, wounded, and their loved ones in our thoughts today."

Several events marking the spring-time Punjabi festival Basant have been cancelled in Pakistan following today's attack, officials said.

The three-day festival returned to Lahore after a nearly two-decade hiatus this week under strict safety regulations after kite-flying was banned in the province in 2005 following a series of fatal accidents.

The chief minister of Pakistan's Punjab region, which borders Islamabad, said on X: "In the wake of the Islamabad tragedy, I am cancelling all my Basant-related activities that were scheduled for tomorrow."

She said the "mega Basant show" planned to take place in Lahore's Liberty Square is among the events cancelled.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have both condemned today's attack on a mosque of worshippers in Islamabad.

Esmail Baqaei, spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry, said Tehran is praying "for the swift recovery of those injured in this criminal act".

The Saudi foreign ministry released a statement expressing its "denunciation of the terrorist bombing" that targeted the mosque.

The US has condemned today's attack in Islamabad and says it "stands with Pakistan during this challenging moment", deputy ambassador Natalie Baker says.

"On behalf of the United States, I offer our sincere condolences to those injured and to the families and loved ones of those killed by this attack. 

"Acts of terror and violence against civilians and places of worship are unacceptable. The people of Pakistan deserve safety, dignity, and the ability to practice their faith without fear."

Baker says the US continues to support Pakistan's "efforts to advance peace and security" and is committed to their partnership "aimed at promoting stability".

Several countries have expressed their condolences following today's attack in Islamabad.

The foreign ministry in neighbouring Afghanistan says it condemns such attacks "that violate the sanctity of sacred rituals and mosques and targets worshippers and civilians".

The Taliban government says it "extends its condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured."

As a reminder, Pakistan's foreign minister earlier claimed the attacker "has been proven to have been coming and going from Afghanistan", without providing evidence.

Elsewhere, the embassy of Turkey in Pakistan says it also condemns the attack "in the strongest terms".

"We wish Allah's mercy upon those who lost their lives in this heinous attack, and extend our condolences to their families and to the people of Pakistan. Türkiye will continue to stand in solidarity with Pakistan in its fight against terrorism."

France's mission in Pakistan has also condemned the attack "that resulted in the loss of many innocent lives," offering its condolences to the victims and wishing for a full recovery to those injured.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper says today's attack in Islamabad is "deeply shocking".

She says the UK "stands with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and in support of all communities affected by such senseless violence".

We can bring you some more detail on today's attack from the earlier statement of Pakistan's defence minster.

Khawaja Asif says security guards "challenged" the attacker, who he says "opened fire" in response.

He adds the attacker "blew himself up in the last row of worshippers with an explosion".