Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has delivered a scathing critique of Pakistan’s past military and political choices, sharply targeting the United States during a speech in the National Assembly of Pakistan. Referring to the Taliban and the wars in Afghanistan, Asif admitted that Pakistan had repeatedly entered conflicts not in its own interest, but to serve external powers. He acknowledged grave mistakes that, he said, continue to exact a heavy cost on the country.
‘Jihad Was Misused, Pakistan Paid The Price’
Khawaja Asif said Pakistan had not participated in the Afghan wars to defend Islam, despite public narratives suggesting otherwise. He conceded that Pakistanis were sent to fight and die under the banner of jihad, a decision he described as deeply flawed. According to the defence minister, even Pakistan’s education curriculum was altered to support these wars, changes that have still not been fully reversed.
He also argued that the conflict against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan during the 1980s was driven by American strategy rather than religious obligation. He maintained that Russia had not occupied Afghanistan in a manner that justified calling the war jihad, yet Pakistan still became involved, an error whose consequences persist decades later.
‘Used & Discarded By America’
The defence minister also criticised Pakistan’s renewed involvement in Afghanistan after 1999, saying the country once again aligned itself with Washington to secure US support. He stated that Pakistan paid a “very heavy price” for this decision and has never recovered from the damage.
Asif strongly criticised former military rulers Zia-ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf, accusing them of leading Pakistan into wars that were not its own. Using stark language, he said Pakistan was treated “worse than toilet paper”, used for a purpose and then discarded.
Referring to the post-2001 period, the minister noted that Pakistan turned against the Taliban to support the US-led war on terror. While America eventually withdrew, he said, Pakistan continues to suffer the long-term fallout. “That loss can never be compensated,” Asif told lawmakers, calling the decisions irreversible mistakes that turned Pakistan into a pawn in others’ wars.
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