Pakistan govt terms Islamic State as 'serious threat'

Islamabad, Feb 23: Pakistan's top diplomat on Monday said that the dreaded Islamic State (IS) militant group posed a "serious threat" to the country.

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry in a briefing to the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee at Parliament House said the government was taking steps to meet the threat of the Middle Eastern terror outfit.

"Under UN resolutions, Pakistan is firmly against extremist organisations like (IS) and is taking all actions to counter them," Chaudhry said.

He said that militants were trying to exploit the name of IS after their defeat after the military's Operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched in North Waziristan but their efforts were being checked by authorities.

Last year, leaflets and graffiti in the support of IS appeared in several places prompting a crackdown by the government which led to the arrest of some sympathisers including Yousaf al-Salafi who represented the IS in Pakistan.

Despite pressure from Pakistani authorities, the group has already appointed former Taliban commander Hafiz Saeed Khan as their country chief.

PTI