FO says Luqmaan Khan, 25, is an Afghan who lived briefly in Pakistan as a refugee
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday rejected foreign media reports identifying a man arrested in Delaware over alleged attack plots as a Pakistani, clarifying that the suspect is an Afghan national who had only spent a few years as a refugee in Pakistan.
“He is neither a Pakistani citizen nor of Pakistani origin,” FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said in a statement. “He is Afghan, he spent a few years as a refugee in Pakistan and then went to the United States, where he spent most of his life.”
His clarification came after several media reports, including those in USA Today, New York Post and Hindustan Times, described him as a Pakistani-born American citizen, a claim the FO says is inaccurate.
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According to a report by The Associated Press today, which also does not identify Khan as a man of Pakistani origin, the suspect was a student at the University of Delaware.
A press release issued by the US Department of Justice on December 1 detailing the charges against Khan identified him as a resident of the Delaware city of Wilmington and made no mention of his nationality.
Khan was arrested when New Castle County police officers found his white van parked on Canby Park West after hours. Police said Khan refused orders to get out of the vehicle and resisted arrest before being taken into custody.
A search of the truck uncovered a Glock pistol chambered in .357 SIG with 27 rounds, three additional loaded magazines, a ballistic plate, and a handwritten notebook containing detailed notes about possible attacks. The notebook included a sketch titled “UD Police Station,” marked entry and exit points and the name of a University of Delaware police officer. Investigators said the notes described “premeditated assault plans,” including methods to evade law enforcement.
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Local US media also reported that the notebook included repeated references to “martyrdom” and phrases such as “kill everyone,” although these details do not appear in the DoJ complaint.
According to the Department of Justice press release, Khan was charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun on November 26.
“If convicted of the charge, Khan faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. If Khan is ultimately convicted, a federal district court judge will determine the sentence after taking into account the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors,” he said.
