MoIB rejects Khalilzad's claim regarding ISIS-K commander's death
Pakistan’s Information Ministry clarified that Burhan’s death in Punjab was a criminal dispute, denying former envoy Khalilzad’s ISIS-K claims.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) on Monday refuted claims made by former US special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, regarding the death of an alleged ISIS-K commander in Punjab.
On Sunday night, Khalilzad posted on social media platform X, stating, “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.”
The MoIB’s official fact-checking account clarified that the incident actually occurred on March 2 in Habibabad, Kasur district, not Akhtarabad as claimed.
Authorities confirmed that Burhan’s death was linked to a robbery or a personal dispute, not a counter-terrorism operation. An FIR regarding the incident was filed on March 6 at the Saddar Pattoki police station.
According to the ministry, Burhan was living with his father-in-law, Shah Muhammad, near Habibabad’s fruit market. Credible security assessments indicate there are no ISIS/ISKP elements in Punjab, and there is no evidence connecting Burhan to the group or confirming him as a commander.
The ministry emphasized that Khalilzad’s post inaccurately portrayed a criminal or personal conflict as a terrorist attack, creating a misleading impression of ISKP activity in the province. The matter remains a criminal case, unrelated to militancy or organized terrorism.
