The Foreign Office is seeking clarity on the US Charges Against Pakistani Man allegedly involved in an assassination plot. The Foreign Office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, emphasized that Pakistani authorities are in contact with their US counterparts to gather more details. The man, identified as Asif Merchant, faces serious allegations related to a foiled attempt to assassinate former US President Donald Trump.
“We have seen the media reports. We are in touch with the US authorities and await further details,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement. She also noted that US officials have indicated this is an ongoing investigation.
“Before giving our formal reaction, we also need to be sure of the antecedents of the individual in question,” she added.
A Pakistani man with alleged ties to Iran has been charged in the US in connection with the foiled plot to assassinate a US politician or government officials, according to the Justice Department. Asif Merchant, 46, is accused of recruiting individuals in the US to carry out the plot in retaliation for the US killing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ top commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020, as per a criminal complaint.
Asif Merchant, who prosecutors allege spent time in Iran before traveling to the US, faces charges of murder for hire in federal court in New York’s Brooklyn borough. A federal judge ordered his detention on July 16, 2024 according to court records.
“For years, the Justice Department has been working aggressively to counter Iran’s brazen and unrelenting efforts to retaliate against American public officials for the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland.
FBI investigators believe former President Donald Trump, who approved the drone strike on Qassem Soleimani, and other current and former US government officials were the intended targets of the plot, CNN reported, citing a US official.
Court documents do not name the alleged targets. Asif Merchant told a law enforcement informant that there would be “security all around” one target, according to the criminal complaint.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment further, and Trump’s presidential campaign could not immediately be reached for comment.
