Islamabad, Pakistan – President Donald Trump said in a speech to Congress on Tuesday night that an Afghan citizen, who is said to be involved in a plot to kill a fatal bombing at Kabul Airport in August 2021, has been arrested with Pakistani aid.
The attack came while US troops assisted in evacuation from the city following the Taliban’s acquisition of Kabul.
In his first speech to Congress after taking office in his second term, Trump mentioned the Kabul airport explosion, calling it “the most embarrassing moment in our country’s history.”
“Tonight we are pleased to announce that we have just arrested a top terrorist responsible for the atrocities. He is now here to stand up to the swift sword of American justice, the US president declared Monday night.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif thanked him for “recognizing Pakistan’s role and support in counterterrorism efforts across the region.”
He confirmed that Mohammad Sharifullah, commander of ISIL (ISIS) affiliates in Khorasan Province (ISKP), is an Afghan national captured in operations carried out in the Pakistan-Afghan border areas.
“As it is well known, Pakistan has always played a key role in counterterrorism efforts aimed at denying spaces that will make terrorists and extremist groups oppose safe shelters to other countries,” Sharif wrote on Wednesday in a message on social media platform X, using a different spelling of the bombing prime minister’s name.
We would like to thank President Donald Trump for acknowledging and appreciating Pakistan’s role and support in the region-wide terrorist efforts in the context of the recent arrest of ISKP’s top-tier operational commander Shareefullah, Pakistan’s security forces.
– Shehbaz Sharif (@cmshehbaz) March 5, 2025
The development was the day after the bombing of Khyber Paktanwa in northwestern Pakistan, a suicide attack killed 12 civilians. Last week, another suicide bombing exploded at a mosque in the same state, killing at least four people, with many suspecting ISKP’s involvement.
What was the bombing of the monastery gate at Kabul Airport?
When the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, 2021, US authorities set an August 31 deadline to evacuate all US troops stationed in Afghanistan for the past 20 years.
However, on August 26th, thousands of Afghans sought to escape from Kabul, killing nearly 200 people, including 13 American soldiers, a suicide bomber at the airport entrance known as Abbey Gate.
Subsequent US investigations revealed that the bomber identified as Abdul Rahman Al-Logari had been an ISKP member since 2016. He was one of the thousands of ISKP members who were released by the Taliban after seizing control of the country in August 2021.
Three days after the attack on the monastery’s gates, the US troops allegedly launched a drone strike in central Kabul, targeting the ISKP commander.
However, the missile killed at least 10 civilians, including seven children. Initially, the US claimed it had successfully eliminated the target, but later admitted it was a mistake and issued an apology.
Who is Sharihura and how was he arrested?
Prime Minister Sharif revealed that the individual arrested was a citizen of Afghanistan, but he did not provide details on how the operation was carried out.
A government source told Al Jazeera that the operation showed “strong cooperation” between the US and Pakistan security facilities in counter-terrorism efforts.
Sources further revealed that Pakistani security forces began pursuing Sharifullah after receiving information from the US “a few days ago.”
“He was arrested in late February near the Pakistan-Afghan border in an operation carried out solely by Pakistan security agencies. After that, the individual was handed over to the US for a legitimate process of law,” a government source said.
“Sharifura’s arrest also proves that Pakistan’s position on Afghanistan as a hotbed of terrorism is absolutely correct,” the source added, not authorised to discuss the matter publicly anonymously.
Pakistan has long criticised the Taliban government for not suppressing the presence of armed groups in Afghan soils launching attacks within Pakistan’s territory. The Afghan government has consistently denied these accusations.
According to US news outlet CNN, CIA director John Ratcliffe raised the issue in his first call with General Asim Malik, Pakistan’s chief of intelligence.
Sharifullah, also known as Jafar, arrived in the US early Wednesday morning. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed his arrival. “Terrorist Jafar is officially in US custody,” he said.
At that time, you delivered the sword of justice for the Americans – thank you to your incredible leadership @agpambondi and @johnratcliffe. I am very proud of the men and women of the FBI, DOJ and CIA.
Abby Gate’s Justice – Terrorist Jaffer officially on US custody pic.twitter.com/en1wjwjzcw
– Kash Patel (@kash_patel) March 5, 2025
What does this arrest mean for relations between Pakistan and the US?
Relations between the two countries have been slipping in recent years as interest in the region has diminished and Pakistan-China relations (Washington’s major geopolitical rival) have grown.
However, former Pakistan’s US ambassador, Marieha Rody, believes the operation shows that counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries remains strong.
“Even though there is a lack of sufficient involvement at the political level, the relationship between military and military continues to grow stronger, which has been the case for a long time in this roller coaster relationship,” she told Al Jazeera.
Qamar Cheema, an international affairs expert and executive director of the Islamabad-based Sanovel Institute, reflected this sentiment.
“It is important to understand that the US is looking at Afghanistan through the Pakistani lens. In Pakistani view, illegal US-made weapons in Afghanistan are being used by armed groups to launch attacks in Pakistan and in regions,” he told Al Jazeera.
“Officers from both countries believe they must work together to maintain regional stability. This operation shows that the US administration is clear about the importance of Pakistan, which is less noticeable during the previous Biden administration,” added Cheema.
However, Rody, who served as Pakistan’s UK and UN ambassador, believes that broader Pakistan-US relations needs a reset, as the US has been at a low point since its withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
“What this latest development shows is that cooperation continues with narrow bandwidth and has yet to find a broader basis. Pakistan is not on Trump’s foreign policy priority list, but the arrests and Trump’s appreciation for Pakistan offer an opportunity to explore how relationships can be rebuilt and redefine,” she said.
“However, it is important not to overstate the importance of this arrest for Pakistan-US relations, which requires a massive reset.”
