South Asia Expert Tells TML That US-Pakistan Intelligence Sharing Is ‘a Double-Edged Sword’
President Trump’s commendation of Pakistan for arresting the mastermind behind the 2021 Kabul airport attack could be a good sign for Islamabad amid strained relations with the US
[Islamabad] Addressing a joint session of Congress last Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced the arrest and extradition to the United States of the alleged mastermind behind the 2021 Kabul airport attack, which killed 13 US service members.
“Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity, and he is right now on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice,” President Trump said, thanking Pakistan’s government for its assistance in the arrest.
The deadly bombing took place on August 26, 2021, during the chaotic US-led evacuation following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. A suicide bomber detonated explosives near Abbey Gate, one of the main entrances to Kabul International Airport, where thousands of Afghans and foreign nationals had gathered in an attempt to flee the country.
The attack killed 11 Marines, one Navy corpsman, and one soldier, along with at least 170 Afghan civilians. More than 200 others were injured. The Khorasan Province branch of the Islamic State group (IS-KP) claimed responsibility for the bombing.
In his speech, President Trump criticized former President Joe Biden for his handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
“This was a very momentous day for those 13 families, who I actually got to know very well, most of them whose children were murdered, and the many people that were so badly—over 42 people so badly injured on that fateful day in Afghanistan,” the president said. “What a horrible day. Such incompetence was shown.”
The day after President Trump’s speech, the Department of Justice announced that Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as Jafar, had been arrested for his role in the attack.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked President Trump for recognizing Pakistan’s role and for supporting counterterrorism efforts in the region. In a post on X on Wednesday, he said that Sharifullah was captured “in a successful operation conducted in the Pakistan-Afghan border region” but did not disclose further details.
“We remain steadfast in our resolve and unwavering commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” Sharif wrote. “In this effort, Pakistan has rendered great sacrifices, including the lives of over 80,000 of our brave soldiers and citizens.”
Also on Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News that the United States had provided the intelligence that led Pakistan to arrest Sharifullah.
Special thanks to Pakistan indeed, they cooperated with us
“Special thanks to Pakistan indeed, they cooperated with us,” Hegseth said.
The Trump administration’s acknowledgment of Pakistan’s role in the operation was particularly notable given recent tensions between the US and Pakistan. In February, two Republican congressmen with close ties to President Trump wrote a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to secure the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently jailed in Pakistan on corruption charges. That same month, New York City ended its $220 million lease with the Roosevelt Hotel, owned by Pakistan International Airlines.
“For those expecting the new US administration to take a tough stance on Pakistan’s military or push for Khan’s release, this cooperation shows the US still sees Pakistan as useful on some fronts,” Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute, wrote on X on Wednesday.
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He added that Pakistan hopes to use counterterrorism coordination with the US as a way to restore American support.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Islamabad-based intelligence official told The Media Line that Sharifullah played a key role in multiple deadly attacks, including rocket strikes on the Afghan presidential palace and the US Embassy, in addition to his involvement in the Abbey Gate bombing.
The official also revealed Sharifullah’s close ties to Shahab al-Muhajir, the leader of IS-KP. He had been arrested by Afghan intelligence under Afghan President Ashraf Ghani but was freed from Bagram prison when the Taliban seized Kabul in August 2021.
Sharifullah was instrumental in coordinating IS-KP’s operations, handling recruitment, and organizing logistical support for suicide bombers. His capture is expected to yield vital intelligence regarding IS-KP’s organizational structure and funding sources.
Further investigation and prosecution will occur in the United States. On Wednesday, Sharifullah was brought before the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The FBI confirmed his extradition and said he had been interviewed three days earlier.
FBI agent Seth Parker, who led the arrest, told the court that Sharifullah had been affiliated with IS since 2016 and had carried out multiple operations for IS-KP.
During questioning, Sharifullah admitted to guiding a suicide bomber in the June 20, 2016, attack on the Canadian Embassy in Kabul. He identified the bomber and detailed his role in facilitating the attack.
Andrew Korybko, a Moscow-based American political analyst, described the 2021 attack as a “defining moment” for IS-KP. He said that the 2024 attack on a Moscow music venue “highlighted the group’s expanding reach.”
Korybko told The Media Line that US-Pakistan cooperation in Sharifullah’s arrest “highlights persistent security cooperation despite political divides.”
This case reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to counterterrorism, assuring other countries that intelligence-sharing remains effective despite diplomatic challenges
“This case reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to counterterrorism, assuring other countries that intelligence-sharing remains effective despite diplomatic challenges,” Korybko said.
He emphasized that the US and Pakistan should continue prioritizing shared counterterrorism efforts. “Differences, such as Pakistan’s ties with China or US concerns over its internal affairs, should not hinder their shared security goals,” he said.
Waleed Parwez, a director at the Islamabad-based Pakistan Strategic Forum, similarly described the operation as an example of Pakistan’s deepening counterterrorism collaboration with the United States.
“Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to counterterrorism cooperation after the fall of Kabul, with joint efforts now primarily targeting IS-KP,” he told The Media Line, adding that Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and al-Qaida were secondary concerns.
The chief of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, Asim Malik, was one of the first foreign leaders whom CIA Director John Ratcliffe contacted after being sworn in January.
During the call, he said, “the CIA director shared intelligence about Sharifullah’s activities, particularly his semipermanent residence in Afghan territory near the Pakistani border.”
Parwez said that Malik and Ratcliffe then met in February at the Munich Security Conference. After that meeting, US and Pakistani intelligence agencies intensified their collaboration, closely tracking Sharifullah’s movements. An elite Pakistani unit was placed on standby before Pakistan captured and handed him over to the US, Parwez said.
Iftikhar Firdous, a leading Islamabad-based security expert and founder of Khorasan Diary, a platform tracking armed groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan, said that Sharifullah’s arrest serves as “a reminder that Pakistan and the United States will remain tied in a need-based relationship when it comes to counterterrorism.”
As terrorism surges regionally, and as IS and its regional chapters remain the world’s deadliest terrorist groups, Pakistan will remain central to counterterrorism efforts, Firdous told The Media Line.
He noted that Pakistan had successfully apprehended IS-KP fighters responsible for major terrorist attacks, including those in Kabul (2021), Iran (2024), and Moscow (2024).
Farzana Shah, a Peshawar-based defense analyst, called the mission “a significant achievement in US-Pakistan intelligence cooperation.”
She warned, however, that Pakistan’s intelligence-sharing with the US was “a double-edged sword,” as it increases Pakistan’s exposure to retaliatory attacks.
She said that IS-KP’s membership consists largely of former Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan members and rogue Taliban elements. The three groups are increasingly coordinating with one another, she added, which means that a robust, multifaceted counterterrorism strategy is needed to address the threat.
