FO Rejects Reports Linking US Shooting Suspect to Pakistan, Confirms He Is of Afghan Origin

The Foreign Office on Thursday firmly rejected media reports claiming that the man arrested in the United States last week for illegal possession of firearms and alleged plans for an attack was a Pakistani national.

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi clarified in an official statement that the suspect, identified by US authorities as Luqmaan Khan, has no link to Pakistan.

“He is not a Pakistani national or of Pakistani origin. He is Afghan, spent a few years as a refugee in Pakistan, and then went to the USA where he spent most of his life,” Andrabi confirmed.

According to a press release issued by the US Department of Justice, Luqmaan Khan, a resident of Wilmington, was taken into custody after refusing to comply with police orders during a traffic stop.
A search of his vehicle led to the recovery of a .357 caliber Glock handgun with 27 rounds, a microplastic conversion brace kit, three additional loaded magazines, a Glock 9mm magazine, an armored ballistic plate, and a marble composition notebook.

The press release stated that the notebook contained references to additional weapons, the name of a University of Delaware Police Department officer, and a building layout labeled “UD Police Station,” with marked entry and exit points.

The Foreign Office also referred to the November 26 shooting in Washington, DC, reportedly involving another Afghan national, which Pakistan condemned as “an act of terrorism and a heinous assault on United States soil.”

Andrabi said Pakistan has suffered “countless similar terrorist incidents” over the past two decades, often linked with cross-border elements from Afghanistan.
“This incident signifies the challenges posed by transnational terrorism and underscores the need for enhanced global cooperation,” he added.

He warned that the Washington shooting reflects a “troubling resurgence of terrorism” worldwide and urged the international community to strengthen collective counter-terrorism efforts.