The Pakistani government has called on Afghanistan to hand over the captured leader of the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), an affiliate of the extremist group Islamic State (IS).
“The Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and conveyed Pakistan’s views” regarding the arrest of Aslam Farooqi, the ministry said in a statement on April 9.
During the meeting, the Afghan envoy was told that Farooqi “should be handed over to Pakistan for further investigations” because he was involved in “anti-Pakistan activities in Afghanistan,” it said.
The statement said that the two countries “should coordinate actions against the menace of terrorism.”
Afghan officials say Farooqi, whose real name is Abdullah Orakzai, was arrested in the Kandahar Province on April 4. He became the ISKP leader in July 2019.
The group has claimed responsibility for attacks in both Afghanistan and Pakistan that have killed scores of civilians.
