Relatives wail during the funeral procession of a daily worker who was killed when militants opened fire on a crowed in Pahalgam in Indian-controlled Kashmir, April 23, 2025. (Photo by AP)
Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, admits the country’s past error in supporting terrorist organizations as “dirty work” for the West, acknowledging that this mistake has caused suffering for Pakistan.
In an interview with Sky News presenter Yalda Hakim on Saturday, Asif responded to a question regarding Pakistan’s history of aiding terrorist organizations.
“We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, and the West, including Britain,” he said.
“That was a mistake, and we suffered for that, and that is why you are saying this to me,” Asif noted.
He went on to say that if Pakistan did not join the war against the Soviet Union and the war after 9/11, Pakistan’s track record was “unimpeachable.”
“It was convenient for the big powers to blame Pakistan, which ‘fought’ the wars on their side in the 80s against the Soviet Union. All these terrorists of today were wining and dining in Washington.”
Asif’s comments have come days after a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir left at least 26 people dead.
India has accused Pakistan of funding and harboring the terrorist organization (The Resistance Front) which has taken responsibility for the attack and has suspended diplomatic ties with Pakistan.
Although Asif recognized the existence of terrorist organizations in Pakistan’s territory, he denied his government’s involvement in the attack in the Indian-administered Kashmir and said TRF does not exist.
Asif’s remarks are among the clearest acknowledgments by a Pakistani official about the country’s role in helping the US to use terrorism as a tool of foreign policy.
While past Pakistani governments have admitted to supporting Mujahedeen fighters on behalf of the US during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, few have linked that policy to the US involvement in the creation of major terrorist organizations in the region.
The US has not responded to Asif’s latest comments about the two countries’ cooperation in creating terrorist organizations.
The previous Afghan government accused Pakistan of financial and logistical support of Al-Qaeda and Taliban.
Pakistan has denied the accusation but its officials celebrated the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
In recent years, Pakistan has faced a surge of terrorist attacks, primarily carried out by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
