The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that the individual arrested in Delaware — accused of illegally possessing a machinegun — is not Pakistani, but an Afghan national.
The statement was issued in response to Indian media propaganda that falsely claimed the suspect was Pakistani.
The man, identified as Luqmaan Khan, 25, hailed from Wilmington, was charged this week with illegally possessing a machine gun, after police and federal agents uncovered a cache of weapons and ammunition from his car on November 24, the US Attorney's Office said.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said that the arrested individual spent only a short period of time in Pakistan as an Afghan migrant.
"Luqmaan Khan is an Afghan national who has spent most of his life in the US," he added.
The US Attorney said that Khan resisted arrest before police began a search of the vehicle, as they found a loaded 357‑caliber handgun fitted with a conversion‑brace kit, multiple extended magazines, a ballistic plate, and a notebook containing a layout of a building with entry and exit points under which the words “UD Police Station” were written.
"On November 25, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and NCCPD executed a search warrant at Khan’s Wilmington residence. Within, law enforcement recovered a Glock 19 9mm handgun equipped with an illegal machinegun conversion device, commonly called a switch," the US Attorney's Office added.
"Law enforcement also recovered a .556 rifle with a scope and a red dot sight, eleven more extended magazines, hollow point rounds of ammunition, and a two-plate tactical vest equipped with a single ballistic plate."
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Castle County Police Department, with the man currently facing charges of machine‑gun possession, which, if proven, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Prosecutors also allege multiple weapons and firearms‑related offenses, as well as resisting arrest and other infractions.
