The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) on Monday debunked a claim by former US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, who had claimed that an ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) commander had been killed in Punjab.
On Sunday night, Khalilzad said on social media platform
Responding to the post, the official fact-checking account of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that the incident in question took place in Habibabad in Kasur district on March 5 and not in Akhtarabad as claimed.
“The victim, Burhan, was killed in a dacoity/robbery related incident or a case of personal enmity, not in an anti-terror operation,” the ministry said, adding that a first information report (FIR) of the incident was also registered on March 6 at the Saddar Pattoki police station.
It said Burhan lived with his father-in-law, Shah Muhammad, near a fruit market in Habibabad.
“There is no presence of ISIS/Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) elements in Punjab, Pakistan, based on credible security assessments,” the ministry said.
“There is no evidence linking Burhan to ISKP nor was he a commander,” the ministry said, adding that Khalilzad’s position transformed a “purely criminal or personal dispute into a terror-linked murder, creating a false impression of ISKP activity in Punjab.”
“The case remains a criminal matter, not related to militancy or organized terrorist groups,” he added.
