A Pakistani man was charged by the US on Tuesday for allegedly having ties to Iran in relation to an abortive attempt to kill former US President Donald Trump.
According to a court complaint, Asif Merchant, 46, tried to enlist Americans to carry out the conspiracy as payback for the US assassination of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards chief commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020.
Merchant was charged with murder for hire in federal court in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Prosecutors claim that Merchant spent time in Iran prior to going to the US. On July 16, a federal judge issued an order for his detention, according per court documents.
The Foreign Office stated today that Islamabad was in communication with the Washington authorities and was awaiting additional information regarding the charges against Merchant.
