PESHAWAR: The provincial police claimed on Monday to have arrested a recruiter for the self-styled Islamic State (IS) from the Badaber area of Peshawar.

The suspect was allegedly involved in recruiting for IS, said a police official.

“The suspect arrested, Dadullah, belongs to Afghanistan, and was recruiting for an international militant organisation,” said SSP Operation Mian Saeed.

The police official added that a First Information Report has been registered against the suspect. Weapons and hand grenades were also recovered from the arrested individual, according to the police official.

Read: Presence of IS militants

In January this year, security forces had arrested a man they believed was the commander of IS in the country as well as two accomplices involved in recruiting and sending fighters to Syria.

Rifts among the Taliban and disputes about the future of the insurgency have contributed to the rise of Islamic State's popularity but security sources believe there are no operational links yet between IS and South Asia.

Disgruntled former Taliban commanders have formed the so-called Khorasan chapter — an umbrella IS group covering Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and other South Asian countries — in recent months but have not been involved in any fighting.

Their leader, Hafiz Saeed Khan Orakzai, a former Pakistani Taliban commander, appeared in a video address urging people in the region to join the group.

Opinion

Editorial

Balochistan tragedy
Updated 26 May, 2026

Balochistan tragedy

The state keeps reiterating the role of hostile foreign actors in fomenting unrest, yet seems to be short on ideas on how to prevent the ingress of such actors and their ideologies in Baloch society.
Economic engagement
26 May, 2026

Economic engagement

AN array of investment MoUs valued at $7bn signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s China visit signifies...
Flotilla abuse
26 May, 2026

Flotilla abuse

THE testimonies that have emerged from international activists, who were part of a Gaza-bound flotilla, paint a...
In chains
Updated 25 May, 2026

In chains

THE question should never be about who is at the receiving end at any given point in time: an assault on an...
Climate shocks
25 May, 2026

Climate shocks

THE latest State Bank report documenting recurring climatic disasters in Pakistan during the period between 2000 and...
Justice deferred
25 May, 2026

Justice deferred

PAKISTAN’S courts are quick to remind the public that justice takes time. Increasingly, however, it is the conduct...