Pakistan arrests spokesperson for group linked to 'ISIS'

SadaNews - Pakistani media reported that elements of the country's intelligence arrested the spokesperson for a local group linked to 'ISIS', which was designated as a terrorist organization by the United States in 2021.

Analysts indicate that this move represents a blow to the armed group that is trying to restore its activity in the region.

According to 'Pakistan TV', the arrest took place in May.

The report mentioned that Sultan Aziz Azam, the spokesperson for the so-called 'ISIS' organization in the Khorasan province, was captured while attempting to cross from neighboring Afghanistan into Pakistan. Azam hails from the Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan.

The Pakistani government has not yet confirmed the arrest. The country has recently seen an increase in militant attacks, which the authorities blame on 'ISIS', or the local group associated with it and 'Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan'.

The United States has been seeking to arrest Azam since 2021, when the State Department classified the group as terrorist. Analysts note that the arrest could largely undermine the media machinery of the group affiliated with 'ISIS'.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested a main suspect in a major fraud case involving a pension fund exceeding 46 million rupees, following a court's cancellation of a previous bail release decision prior to the arrest, according to the 'Associated Press of Pakistan' on Thursday. The agency quoted an official as saying that the FIA's anti-corruption department in Islamabad arrested Talha Rasool, a resident of Islamabad, after a judge at the second middle special court denied his bail request. The case involves allegations of embezzlement from the pension fund of the government engineering agency. According to preliminary investigations, the accused coordinated with other defendants listed in the case to transfer pension funds from the bank account of the pension fund of the government engineering agency. The official stated that the fraud was carried out using counterfeit bank checks and forged signatures at a branch of a private bank in the Blue Area, resulting in the embezzlement of 46,153,330 rupees (over 46 million rupees). The case was registered based on a complaint received by the FIA regarding irregular withdrawals from the pension fund.

Following the court order, the accused was arrested, and further investigations were initiated to trace the flow of funds and identify additional beneficiaries. The official added that efforts are ongoing to apprehend other suspects involved in the fraud. The FIA reaffirmed its commitment to pursue the case to its logical conclusion and prosecute all responsible parties.