Pakistan says no 'organised presence' of Islamic State, despite intelligence chief's warning

Soldiers scan the contents of a truck at a checkpoint on the main highway outside Quetta, Pakistan November 30, 2015. REUTERS/Naseer Ahmed

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Different officials in Pakistan's government have taken seemingly contradictory stands on Islamic State's influence in the country, after a rare warning by an intelligence chief that the Middle East-based militant group posed a domestic threat.

Reports of stepped-up recruitment by Islamic State and a bloody attack linked to the group last year have stoked fears the movement is gaining momentum in Pakistan, despite the government rejecting its formal presence.