Latest news with #Sharifullah
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Pakistan's game: Harbour terrorists, stage captures & gain favours from US
Representative image NEW DELHI: Early in March, the US arrested in Afghanistan an ISIS-K operative involved in the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 Marines. President Donald Trump was quick to thank Pakistan for its help in nabbing the high-value fugitive from the Pak-Afghan border. "I want to thank the government of Pakistan for helping arrest this monster," he told US Congress. But what was brushed under the carpet was an open secret in intelligence circles: The operative, Sharifullah, had been in Pakistan spy agency ISI's custody for over a year. ISI ran multiple operations using his network and ultimately handed him over to the CIA at the right time - when the regime changed in Washington. This was not the first instance of Pakistan trying to please the US by handing over terrorists that it had been using to achieve its own goals. ISI had played the same trick in 2010 when it 'suddenly discovered' Taliban military commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and handed him over to CIA. The case of Osama bin Laden and his courier, Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, further exposed the duplicity of Pakistan and its military-industrial complex. Pakistani intelligence agencies had claimed they had no knowledge of Osama's presence in Abbottabad despite the compound where he was staying being just about a kilometre away from the Pakistan Military Academy. The Americans, it appears, didn't believe the Pakistanis and kept on hunting for the 9/11 plotter. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Are The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo But while his capture and killing vindicated the US's lack of trust in Islamabad, American leaders continued to allow themselves to be baited by the Pakistanis. Trump, who considers himself to be the greatest deal maker, seems to be the latest victim of Pakistan's dual game, feeling beholden to the favour that ISI did by offering Sharifullah as a trophy. Sharifullah and Osama are not standalone cases. In 2002, a bombing at nightclubs in Bali had left over 200 people dead, including several Americans. The prime suspect was Umar Patek, a suspected member of the militant group Jemaah Islamiyah. The US had announced a $1 million bounty on him. On January 25, 2011, Patek was dramatically captured by Pakistani officials in Abbottabad and handed over to the US, which then passed him on to Indonesia as a gesture which "demonstrated the international cooperation between the US and Indonesia in addressing terrorism". Pakistan had similarly arrested Osama's man Friday Abu Zubaydah in Faisalabad six months after the 9/11 attacks. He was swiftly transferred to CIA custody. These capture-extraditions, though seen as attempts by Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to counter-terrorism, have actually been selective and strategic, aimed at appeasing the US rather than genuinely combating terrorism, a senior officer said.
Express Tribune
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
ECP undergoes a major reshuffle
In a significant development, a major reshuffle has taken place at the country's polls oversight authority — the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) — with three of its provincial members exchanging places. According to a notification issued on Thursday, Sharifullah, the provincial election commissioner of Sindh, has been appointed as the provincial election commissioner of Punjab. Muhammad Farid Afridi, the provincial election commissioner of Balochistan, has been appointed as the joint election commissioner of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Aijaz Anwar Chohan, the provincial election commissioner of Punjab, has been reappointed as the provincial election commissioner of Sindh. Ali Asghar Sial has been appointed as the provincial election commissioner of Balochistan while Aleem Shahab has been appointed as additional director general (headquarters). The chief election commissioner (CEC), Sikander Sultan Raja, has completed his term. However, the government and opposition have not yet been able to start negotiations for finding his successor. On January 27, a day after the end of the incumbent CEC's term, the PTI, the largest opposition party, demanded that the government immediately and transparently appoint "an honest, unbiased and neutral CEC" in consultation with the PTI. "The outgoing CEC's dark era left an indelible mark on the country's electoral landscape," PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said in a statement. He said it was incumbent upon the government to ensure timely and consensus-based appointments of the CEC and two other provincial heads of the electoral body "to shield the institution from further destruction". The PTI information secretary said that the outgoing CEC's tenure had severely damaged the reputation of the ECP, thus allowing him to continue in the position would be a gross injustice, not only to the institution but also to the nation. The PTI has had a rocky relationship with the ECP under Raja's leadership, marked by legal challenges and public disputes. Tensions peaked during the 2024 general elections, where PTI alleged widespread rigging and vote tampering after the ECP-led litigation stripped the party of its iconic election symbol of a cricket bat. The party has repeatedly accused Raja of delaying election results and tampering with vote counts, allegations that the ECP has consistently denied. The PTI has also called for Raja's resignation, claiming that his actions have eroded confidence in the ECP's ability to conduct fair elections.
Arab News
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Four Afghanistan-based militants arrested in southwest Pakistan, were planning ‘major attack' — state media
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have arrested four 'terrorists' in the southwestern Balochistan province who entered from Afghanistan, state-run media reported on Thursday, adding that they were planning to launch a major attack in the country. Pakistan has faced a surge in militant attacks in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan since the Afghan Taliban seized Kabul in 2021. Islamabad accuses the Taliban government in Afghanistan of providing shelter to Pakistani Taliban militants, a charge Kabul denies. The operation took place near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Toba Kakri area of the southwestern Balochistan province, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said. 'The arrested terrorists confessed to planning a major terrorist attack,' Radio Pakistan reported. 'In his confessional statement, one arrested terrorist said they entered Pakistan three days ago from Afghanistan.' Citing security sources, the state-run media said weapons such as Kalashnikovs, hand grenades and other firearms were recovered from the 'terrorists.' 'The security sources said the local population played a significant role in the success of this operation against the terrorists,' Radio Pakistan said. The report said that defense experts are of the view that the primary reason for the surge in 'terrorism' in Pakistan is the presence of militant organizations that are 'flourishing' on Afghan soil. 'They said Afghanistan has become a haven for terrorists and immediate international action is needed,' the state broadcaster said. Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan deteriorated in 2023 after Islamabad launched a deportation drive against what it said were 'undocumented' residents living in its country. The drive mostly affected hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, whom Islamabad blamed for a surge in suicide attacks in the country. Pakistan has vowed to crack down on all militants operating in the country. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday acknowledged the role Pakistani security forces played in arresting senior Daesh commander Mohammad Sharifullah from Afghanistan and handing him over to the US. Sharifullah allegedly helped carry out the 2021 suicide bombing outside Kabul airport during the chaotic US military withdrawal from Afghanistan. The blast at the Abbey Gate killed at least 170 Afghans as well as 13 US troops who were securing the airport's perimeter. The Pakistani prime minister confirmed Sharifullah was an Afghan national, saying that he was arrested after a successful operation in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region.
Arab News
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Accused Daesh militant handed over to US by Pakistan appears in court over Kabul airport attack
ALEXANDRIA, United States: A Daesh operative who allegedly helped carry out the 2021 suicide bombing outside Kabul airport during the chaotic US military withdrawal from Afghanistan appeared in a Virginia court Wednesday. Mohammad Sharifullah has confessed to scouting out the route to the airport, where the suicide bomber later detonated his device among packed crowds trying to flee days after the Taliban seized control of Kabul, the Justice Department said. The blast at the Abbey Gate killed at least 170 Afghans as well as 13 US troops who were securing the airport's perimeter. Sharifullah appeared in a court in Alexandria, near the US capital Washington, wearing light blue prison garb and a black face mask. He was officially appointed a public defender and provided with an interpreter. He did not enter a plea. His next appearance will be in the same courthouse on Monday, and he will stay in custody until then, the judge said. Sharifullah — who the US says also goes by the name Jafar and is a member of Daesh's Khorasan branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan — was detained by Pakistani authorities and brought to the United States. President Donald Trump triumphantly announced his arrest Tuesday in an address to Congress, calling him 'the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity.' Daesh militants gave Sharifullah a cellphone and a SIM card and told him to check the route to the airport, according to the Justice Department's affidavit in the case. When he gave it the all-clear, they told him to leave the area, it said. 'Later that same day, Sharifullah learned of the attack at HKIA [Hamid Karzai International Airport] described above and recognized the alleged bomber as an Daesh-K operative he had known while incarcerated,' the affidavit said, using an alternative acronym for the group. Sharifullah is charged with 'providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death.' Trump thanked Islamabad 'for helping arrest this monster.' 'This evil Daesh-K terrorist orchestrated the brutal murder of 13 heroic Marines,' US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. Sharifullah also admitted to involvement in several other attacks, the Justice Department said, including the March 2024 Moscow Crocus City Hall attack, in which he said 'he had shared instructions on how to use AK-style rifles and other weapons to would-be attackers' by video. The United States withdrew its last troops from Afghanistan in August 2021, ending a chaotic evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghans who had rushed to Kabul's airport in the hope of boarding a flight out of the country. Images of crowds storming the airport, climbing onto aircraft as they took off — and some clinging to a departing US military cargo plane as it rolled down the runway — aired on news bulletins around the world. In 2023, the White House announced that a Daesh official involved in plotting the airport attack had been killed in an operation by Afghanistan's new Taliban government. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump for acknowledging his country's role in counter-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan, and promised to 'continue to partner closely with the United States' in a post on X. Pakistan's strategic importance has waned since the US and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, which has seen violence rebound in the border regions. Tensions between the neighboring countries have soared, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of failing to root out militants sheltering on Afghan soil who launch attacks on Pakistan. The Taliban government denies the charges and in a statement said Sharifullah's arrest 'is proof' that Daesh hideouts are on Pakistani soil. Daesh, which has claimed several recent attacks in Afghanistan, has staged a growing number of bloody international assaults, including killing more than 90 people in an Iranian bombing last year. Michael Kugelman, South Asia Institute director at the Wilson Center, said on X that Pakistan was trying to 'leverage US concerns about terror in Afghanistan and pitch a renewed security partnership.'
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Abbey Gate terror suspect remains in custody, faces charges connected to deaths of 13 US service members
The terrorist accused of plotting the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 U.S. military members and 160 civilians amid the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan remains in custody, and according to investigators, was not one of the top planners of the attack. Mohammad Sharifullah appeared in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Monday afternoon to face charges of providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death. FBI Special Agent Seth Parker took to the stand to establish probable cause for the charge, with Magistrate Judge Fitzpatrick agreeing that there was probable cause, and ordering him to be held pending further court hearings. During questioning from Sharifullah's public defender, Parker agreed that Sharifullah was not among the top-level planners of the attack on Abbey Gate. Abbey Gate Terror Suspect's Mugshot Revealed As He Makes First Federal Court Appearance Instead, Parker explained, the suspect was tasked by higher leadership within ISIS-K to conduct reconnaissance of the road leading to Abbey Gate and to see if there were any roadblocks or law enforcement along the route. Read On The Fox News App It was also noted in the courtroom that Sharifullah said he was not present at the attack and did not know the specifics of the target. Parker told prosecutors with the Department of Justice and Judge Fitzpatrick that Sharifullah was an ISIS-K member and had experience assisting in previous suicide bomb attacks. Alleged Abbey Gate Plotter Extradited To Us To Face 'Justice For Our 13,' Fbi Director Kash Patel Says The FBI reportedly interviewed Sharifullah five times, including twice on a Pakistani Air Force Base in Quetta, Pakistan. The FBI also interviewed him on a U.S. plane back to the U.S. and once in the U.S. Parker allegedly painted a chaotic picture of the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan, saying the U.S. had "collapsed" into the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. During questioning with Sharifullah's public defender, Parker confirmed Sharifullah was living near Quetta, Pakistan, where he was raising livestock, including chickens. Trump Pushes To Recover 'Billions Of Dollars' Of Military Equipment Left Behind In Afghanistan Withdrawal During the hearing, Sharifullah was wearing a green jumpsuit, and he appeared to be noticeably short. Sharifullah was extradited last Tuesday night to "face American justice," FBI Director Kash Patel said. "3 and 1/2 years later, justice for our 13," Patel wrote on X. President Donald Trump announced Sharifullah's capture and extradition during his address to a joint session of Congress that same night. "Three and a half years ago, ISIS terrorists killed 13 American service members and countless others in the Abbey Gate bombing," Trump told lawmakers and a TV audience of millions. Trump Reveals Top Terrorist Behind Abbey Gate Attack Apprehended "Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity, and he is right now on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice." Sharifullah confessed to scouting the attack route and training gunmen involved in a terrorist attack near Moscow last year, according to a Justice Department affidavit. Abbey Gate was the main entry point as American and coalition forces were conducting an evacuation operation at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. On Aug. 26, 2021, Abdul Rahman al-Logari — a member of the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) — "detonated a body-worn suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, killing 13 U.S. military service members and approximately 160 civilians," the Justice Department said. The U.S. withdrawal was completed a few days later, and the Taliban later claimed control of Afghanistan. Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano and Greg Norman contributed to this article source: Abbey Gate terror suspect remains in custody, faces charges connected to deaths of 13 US service members
