Pakistan refutes foreign reports misidentifying Delaware suspect

FO says 25-year-old Luqmaan Khan is an Afghan who briefly lived in Pakistan as a refugee

The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday rejected foreign media reports identifying a man arrested in Delaware over alleged attack plans as Pakistani, clarifying that the suspect is an Afghan national who had only spent a few refugee years in Pakistan.

“He is not a Pakistani national or of Pakistan origin,” FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said in a statement. “He is an Afghan, spent a few years as a refugee in Pakistan and then went to the US, where he spent most of his life.”

His clarification came after several media reports — including by USA Today, New York Post and Hindustan Times — described him as a Pakistan-born US citizen, a claim the FO says is inaccurate.

Read: Afghan national involved in terrorism killed in operation: ISPR

According to a report by The Associated Press from earlier today, which also  does not identify Khan as a man of Pakistani origin, the suspect was a student of the University of Delaware.

A press release issued by the US Department of Justice on Dec 1 detailing charges against Khan identified him as a resident of Delaware’s Wilmington city and did not make any mention of his nationality.

Khan was arrested when New Castle County police officers found his white pickup truck parked in Canby Park West after hours. Police said Khan refused commands to exit the vehicle and resisted arrest before being taken into custody.

A search of the truck uncovered a Glock pistol chambered in .357 SIG with 27 rounds, three additional loaded magazines, a ballistic plate, and a handwritten notebook containing detailed notes on possible attacks. The notebook included a sketch labelled “UD Police Station,” marked entry and exit points, and the name of a University of Delaware police officer. Investigators said the notes outlined “premeditated assault plans,” including methods to evade law enforcement.

Read More: Afghan suspect likely radicalised in US

Local US media outlets also reported that the notebook included repeated references to “martyrdom” and phrases such as “kill all,” although these details do not appear in the DoJ complaint.

According to the Department of Justice press release, Khan was charged with illegally possessing a machine gun on November 26.

“If convicted of the charge, Khan faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment. If Khan is ultimately convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors,” it said.