Detained in US, who is Pakistani national Asif Merchant?

A Pakistani national named Asif Merchant was charged by the United States in connection with a foiled assassination attempt in United States against former president Donald Trump. 

According to a criminal complaint, the 46-year-old sought to recruit people in the US to carry out the plot in retaliation for the US killing of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' top commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020. 

Merchant, who prosecutors allege spent time in Iran before traveling to the US, was charged with murder for hire in federal court in New York's Brooklyn borough. A federal judge ordered him detained on July 16, according to court records.

Foreign Office said today that Islamabad was in touch with the authorities in Washington and awaiting further details about charges against Merchant.

In a statement, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “We have seen the media reports. We are in touch with the US authorities and await further details.”

The spokesperson said that they have also noted the statements by US officials that this is an ongoing investigation.

Geo News on Wednesday managed to obtain Merchant's resume according to which he worked as a branch manager in a bank in Karachi in 2010.

It mentioned that he managed an Asset and Liability Portfolio of over Rs1,850 million, which included clients from the Petroleum, Textiles, Leather, Paper Products, Chemicals, and Pharmaceuticals sectors, as well as various Retail, Commercial, and Corporate clients.

The resume said that Merchant's responsibilities included marketing of new clients for enhancement of business portfolio, looking after retail credit proposal as member of Retail Credit Committee (RCC), internal controls and their implementation.

Moreover, the tasks also included reviewing and monitoring branch financials including assets and liabilities, profit and loss, and revenue and expense and preparation and presentations of interim and annual reviews.