ISIS has no presence in Pakistan: Interior Minister

Karachi, Nov 11: Pakistan on Tuesday dismissed media reports about the presence of the Islamic State militants, saying "no organisation of this name exists" in the country.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the media at a function here in the city that no Islamic State (IS) militants exists in the country.

Despite the fact that different militant outfits were operating in Pakistan, the minister said, "no organisation of this name (IS) exists in Pakistan".

His statement came just days after a confidential report sent by the government of Baluchistan to the federal government about the growing threat from IS militants in the country was leaked in the media.

In its confidential report to law enforcement agencies, the Baluchistan home department had warned of increasing influence of the dreaded terrorist outfit IS, also known by the Arabic acronym Daish, in Pakistan.

The 'secret information report' dated October 31 states that IS has claimed to have recruited a massive 10,000 to 12,000 followers from the Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kurram tribal district and warned of imminent terrorist attacks on the country's military installations and government buildings and on the members of the minority communities.

Denying the media reports, Nisar said that the provincial governments had taken notice of the wall chalking being carried out by some local people in favour of the IS and arrests have been made.

The minister's denial comes in the face of six commanders of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), including its now defunct spokesman Shahidullah Shahid, announcing their allegiance to the IS, last month.

The minister also highlighted the role played by the paramilitary rangers in Karachi, pointing out that since they started a clean-up operation in Pakistan's biggest city, nearly 7,500 criminals and militants have been arrested.

PTI