ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) on Monday debunked a claim by former United States special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, who had alleged that a ISIS- Khorasan (ISIS-K) commander had been killed in Punjab.
On Sunday night, Khalilzad said on social media platform X, “Good news from #Pakistan: Reportedly a senior ISIS-K commander Burhan, also known as Zaid, was killed in Patak part of Akhtarabad city in Punjab.”
In response to the post, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s official fact-checking account said 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 by a dacoity/robbery-related incident or a case of personal enmity, not a counter-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 that Burhan was living with his father-in-law, Shah Muhammad, near a fruit market in Habibabad.
“There is no presence of ISIS/Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) elements in Punjab, Pakistan, according to 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 post twisted a “purely criminal or personal dispute into a terrorism-linked killing, creating a false impression of ISKP activity in Punjab”.
“The case remains a criminal matter, not related to militancy or organised terror groups,” it added.
