‘Daesh-K’s presence in Punjab’: Govt refutes Zalmay Khalilzad’s claim

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has exposed the misleading claims of former US envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad regarding the killing of a Daesh-Khorasan commander in Punjab, “creating a false impression” of the outlawed militant outfit in the province.

Khalilzad wrote on X on Sunday night: “Good news from Pakistan: Reportedly a senior [Daesh]-K commander Burhan, also known as Zaid, was killed in Patak part of Akhtarabad city in Punjab.”

The ministry’s official fact-check account said that the incident being referenced actually occurred at Habibabad, Kasur, on March 5, and also shared a copy of the FIR registered at Saddar Patoki police station on March 6. It added that the “victim, Burhan, was killed by a dacoity/robbery-related incident or a case of personal enmity, not a counter-terror operation”.

The ministry categorically said that there was “no evidence” linking Burhan to Daesh, nor was he a commander. “The case remains a criminal matter, not related to militancy or organised terror groups.” It said that there was no presence of Daesh elements in Punjab province. The ministry said that Khalilzad’s post “twists a purely criminal or personal dispute into a terrorism-linked killing, creating a false impression of ISKP activity in Punjab”.