Spain deports Pakistani man over ‘Islamic State links’

Afzal Ahmed was detained along with his two brothers over their alleged involvement in spreading extremism

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani national was arrested at the Islamabad airport on Wednesday after being deported from Spain for having alleged links to the Islamic State terrorist group.

Sources at the New Islamabad Airport told The Express Tribune that Afzal Ahmed, a resident of Kharian city in Gujrat District, was arrested on July 1, 2016 in Spain along with his two brothers over their alleged involvement in terrorist attacks and for ‘spreading extremism’ in the European nation.



They were arrested in a raid on their home in the northeastern city of Lleida.

The three brothers, aged between 25 and 34, were kept in detention for two years and later released on July 29 this year.

Afzal Ahmed, however, was arrested again after being called in at a police station and later deported to Pakistan.



According to Spanish police, the brothers operated several social media accounts which they used to upload videos praising group executions carried out by Islamic State, the Taliban and other Pakistani extremist groups.

Police said the brothers had gathered a large group of followers in their attempts to spread extremist ideology.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested the suspect upon arriving at the airport earlier today for interrogation.