New restrictions imposed on online ride services after Islamabad suicide bombing

Islamabad’s district administration has imposed a ban on taxi and motorcycle ride-hailing drivers operating online services from carrying passengers without recording the passenger’s national identity card number on their app (application).

Following a deadly suicide bombing at a mosque in the federal capital, the administration has also launched a crackdown against unregistered taxis and motorcycles operating in Islamabad as part of broader security measures introduced after the attack.

According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, the district administration decided to strengthen security across the city in the aftermath of the recent mosque bombing, announcing strict action against drivers operating without proper registration.

The Islamabad district administration has decided to formally register all online taxi and ride-hailing services, under which complete data of drivers and vehicles will be collected.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad, all unregistered vehicles and motorcycles operating in the city will be brought under a digital automation-based registration system, and Islamabad Police will be granted full access to the data through a dedicated registration application.

Following registration, drivers will be required to upload passenger details on the application, while carrying passengers without entering their national identity card number will no longer be permitted.

On the directions of the Deputy Commissioner, the formal registration process will begin tomorrow (Tuesday).

The additional deputy commissioner east has been instructed to contact chief executives of all taxi services, while the secretary of the Islamabad Transport Authority has been directed to initiate a crackdown against unregistered motorcycle ride services.

At least 32 worshippers were martyred and more than 150 others injured when a suicide bomber detonated himself at the gate of a mosque during Friday prayers in Islamabad’s Tarlai area on Friday, February 6, 2026.

According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, the suicide bomber involved in the attack has been identified, and investigations have revealed that he received training in terrorist activities in Afghanistan.

Sources said the bomber had travelled to Afghanistan multiple times and had returned to Pakistan some time ago.

The sources further claimed that a nexus between Afghanistan and India was behind terrorist activities being carried out in Pakistan.

Islamabad plans to strengthen security in seven days

On the instructions of Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the Islamabad district administration and police have agreed on a joint strategy to ensure law and order in the federal capital.

According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, a high-level meeting was held in Islamabad to review security arrangements and measures aimed at strengthening public safety in the city. 

Chief Commissioner Islamabad and Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Muhammad Ali Randhawa, and Inspector General of Police Islamabad, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, jointly chaired the meeting. Senior officers from the Islamabad district administration and Islamabad Police attended the meeting.

The participants discussed measures to ensure security at the divisional level and explored ways to enhance overall safety across the city.

Addressing the participants, the Chief Commissioner said that, in line with the directives of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, a comprehensive strategy would be implemented within seven days to make Islamabad one of the safest cities in the country.

He said that efforts would be intensified to further improve the law and order situation in the capital and that a zero-tolerance policy would be adopted against criminal elements, stressing that no compromise would be made in this regard.

Randhawa directed that the monitoring system at all entry and exit points of the federal capital be further strengthened. He also called for the development of a modern mechanism to monitor movement and traffic across Islamabad.

The CDA chairman said that, along with special surveillance at entry and exit points, patrolling would be increased throughout the city. He added that advanced technology-based CCTV cameras would be installed to ensure effective monitoring of these routes.

Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi said that security would be further enhanced across the city, including the Diplomatic Enclave and the Red Zone. He added that timely operations were being carried out to prevent terrorism and take action against criminal elements.

The police chief said that modern technology was being utilised to transform Islamabad into a crime-free city.

The meeting also decided that individuals involved in suspicious activities would be kept under strict surveillance and that a comprehensive database containing their details would be compiled.

Officials were informed during the meeting that door-to-door surveys in urban areas had been completed, while similar surveys in rural areas would be finalised soon.

Reporter: Tayyab Saif