The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) on Monday refuted a claim made by former US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, who alleged that an ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) commander had been killed in Punjab.
Khalilzad, in a post shared on social media platform X on Sunday night, stated:
“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.”
However, the MoIB’s official fact-checking account dismissed the claim, clarifying that the incident Khalilzad referred to had no links to terrorism and did not occur at the location he mentioned.
Ministry Clarifies Incident Was Criminal, Not Terror-Related
According to the ministry, the incident took place on March 5 in Habibabad, located in Kasur district—not in Akhtarabad as Khalilzad claimed. The victim, Burhan, was not an ISIS-K commander but was instead killed in a dacoity/robbery-related attack or due to personal enmity. A formal FIR was registered on March 6 at the Saddar Pattoki police station.
Authorities confirmed that Burhan had been residing with his father-in-law, Shah Muhammad, near a fruit market in Habibabad at the time of his death.
The ministry emphasized:
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There is no evidence connecting Burhan to ISIS-K.
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He had no affiliation with militant or terrorist networks.
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Pakistan’s security assessments indicate no presence of ISIS-K/ISKP in Punjab.
Government Warns Against Misleading Claims
The MoIB said Khalilzad’s post wrongly portrayed a purely criminal or personal dispute as a terrorism-related killing, creating a misleading impression that ISIS-K activity exists in Punjab.
“The case remains a criminal matter, not connected to militancy or any organized terror group,” the ministry underscored.
The government urged commentators and international figures to verify information before sharing claims that may contribute to misinformation or distort Pakistan’s security realities.
