Washington, Jan 8 (NationPress) The increasing operational presence of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) in South Asia, coupled with its openly hostile stance towards U.S. interests, presents a challenge that cannot be disregarded by Washington. The presence of safe havens in Pakistan grants the terrorist group strategic advantages, operational durability, and broader recruitment avenues, as stated in a recent report.

“The apprehension of Mehmet Goren, a key member of ISKP, by the Turkish intelligence agency Milli Istihbarat Teskilatı (MIT) near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in late December 2025 has rekindled concerns regarding Pakistan's role as a safe haven for various terrorist factions operating in South and Central Asia,” reported the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

“This incident aligns with the unveiling of a confidential dossier from India, outlining what it describes as a secretive and growing alliance between ISKP and the Pakistani militant organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The dossier suggests that this cooperation has been orchestrated by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI),” it continued.

The report highlights that security experts have long believed that LeT, which was responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has received various forms of support from the ISI, with mounting evidence revealing Pakistan's connections to ISKP.

“In April 2024, Afghan authorities apprehended several Tajik nationals who allegedly confessed to being directed to Quetta, Pakistan, for training before being deployed to conflict zones. Further validation has arisen from detained ISKP members. Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost, a founding figure of the group, remarked in a recorded statement that ISI officials provided financial backing to Hafiz Saeed Khan, a Pakistan-born leader of ISKP until his demise in July 2016,” the report noted.

“Likewise, the 2020 capture of ISKP chief Aslam Farooqi, also a Pakistani national, by Afghan forces revealed additional ISI ties,” it added.

A senior Afghan official was quoted by MEMRI stating: “ISKP is fundamentally a creation of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.”

Despite these alarming findings, the report indicates that Pakistan still retains its status as a major non-NATO ally, which affords it various defense and security benefits.

“As militant infrastructures remain undisturbed, Pakistan increasingly seems less like a dependable counterterrorism ally and more like a destabilizing element in the regional threat landscape, raising significant doubts about the long-term sustainability of its privileged status,” the report concluded.