The Conservatives are calling on the Trudeau government to explain how a Pakistani man arrested over an alleged ISIS terror plot was allowed into Canada to begin with.
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was arrested in Ormstown, Que. on Friday as he attempted to cross the U.S. border to execute an alleged terror attack.
The arrest took place while the man was heading toward Roxham Road with plans to illegally enter the U.S. and attack Jewish people in New York City but was arrested beforehand around 5 p.m., near the intersection of Gale and Church streets.
While federal officials declined to respond to questions regarding Khan’s immigration status, citing privacy laws, they did confirm that a review of how he arrived in Canada is underway.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Khan is described as a “Pakistani citizen residing in Canada.”
“Given what we’ve recently learned about one alleged ISIS terrorist being let into Canada, the Trudeau Government must be open and transparent with Canadians to answer how and when Muhammad Shahzeb Khan was able to gain entry to Canada and whether there were any early warning signs,” Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman told True North.
“If the Liberal Government does not quickly disclose this key information, Common Sense Conservatives will be seeking to force them to do so, as we did with Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi.”
Ahmed Eldidi and his 26-year-old son Mostafa Eldidi were arrested by the RCMP and charged with conspiring to commit a terrorist attack on behalf of the Islamic State in July.
The planned terrorist attack in Toronto was thwarted due to a tip by French authorities, who warned the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service about the plot.
Their case has raised questions as to how the two were able to gain entry into Canada in the first place as Ahmed was allegedly captured on video in 2015 dismembering a prisoner with a sword in an ISIS execution video, hacking the hands and feet off of a man being hung on a pole.
Furthermore, RCMP confirmed that Ahmed was granted Canadian citizenship and was living in Toronto at the time of their arrest.
Aissa Diop, director of communications for Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that they were “looking into” Khan’s immigration status but that they “will not comment further as there is an investigation.”
Khan’s arrest on Friday was on a U.S. extradition warrant, which led to him being charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The F.B.I. confirmed that Khan had told undercover officers that he intended to “slaughter” Jews in New York City on or around Oct. 7, marking the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Lantsman said while her party is “grateful that law enforcement and security officials on both sides of the border were able to foil what would have been a horrific attack,” that “Conservatives take our national security seriously and we will continue to ensure the Trudeau government provides answers to Canadians.”