WASHINGTON — Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan reconciliation, said there are credible reports pointing to the existence of significant and dangerous terrorist groups operating inside Pakistan.
In comments posted on X, formerly Twitter, Khalilzad referred to recent remarks made by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, who admitted in an interview that Pakistan had supported militant groups for decades.
Khalilzad specifically cited reports that Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) maintains training camps in Pakistan. He pointed to an alleged incident in mid-March in which Baloch nationalist fighters reportedly attacked an ISIS training camp in the Mastung district of Balochistan, near the Bolan River.
“According to reports, around 30 ISIS fighters, including nationals from Turkey, India, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, were killed, and the camp was destroyed,” Khalilzad said.
He added that if the reports are accurate, it would be difficult to believe that Pakistan’s military intelligence was unaware of the camp’s existence. “If Pakistan is serious about stamping out terrorism on their soil, they must address these issues head-on,” Khalilzad said.
He warned that the presence of ISIS and other extremist groups in Pakistan poses a serious risk not only to Pakistan but also to the broader region and the international community.
“By now, everyone should have learned that playing with terrorism for tactical purposes is a disastrous ploy that inevitably backfires very, very badly,” Khalilzad said.
His remarks come amid renewed scrutiny of Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts after Defense Minister Asif admitted to Sky News that Pakistan had supported terrorist groups for over three decades — comments that have drawn widespread attention inside and outside the country.
