Pakistan’s Defence MinisterKhawaja Asifhas made one of his strongest admissions yet, embarrassing Islamabad on the global stage, as he said that the country has been used by the United States for its strategic interests and discarded as "worse than toilet paper". Asif accused the US of exploiting Pakistan and then discarding it. Last year, Asif had admitted during an interview that Pakistan had trained and funded terrorist organisations for over three decades, claiming that Pakistan had been doing the "dirty work" for the West.
Speaking in Parliament, Asif said Pakistan’s decision to once again align with Washington after 1999, particularly in relation to Afghanistan, has proved to be detrimental for the country. He said that Pakistan was treated "worse than toilet paper".
He contradicted the popular narrative that Pakistan's involvement in the Afghanistan conflict alongside the US was driven by religious duty. He said that Pakistanis were mobilised and sent to fight under the banner of 'jihad'. He called it misleading and destructive.
Asif accused late military rulers Zia-ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf of entangling Pakistan in external wars, leaving the country to absorb the fallout long after its allies moved on. “The losses we suffered can never be compensated,” he said.
Khawaja Asif’s latest remarks add to a string of admissions by the Pakistani leader. Earlier this month, Asif had acknowledged that the country’s security forces are “handicapped” in their fight against Baloch rebels, citing the vast size of Balochistan as a major challenge.
His comments came days after the Baloch rebels had carried out coordinated attacks across several towns in the restive province, killing at least 80 security personnel and damaging or destroying more than 30 government properties.
“Balochistan constitutes over 40 per cent of Pakistan geographically... To control it is much more difficult than a populated city, and it needs the deployment of massive forces. Our troops are deployed there and are in action against them (terrorists), but they are physically handicapped by guarding and patrolling such a big area,” Khawaja Asif said, as quoted by PTI.
Last year, Asif had admitted that Pakistan "trained, supported and funded terrorist organisations for over three decades." In a candid interview with a British news channel, when asked about Pakistan’s long history of backing terrorist groups, Asif confessed, “We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades... and West, including Britain.”
Asif said, "That was a mistake, and we suffered for that." He pointed to Pakistan's involvement in the Afghan-Soviet war during the 1980s, stating that the country had supported terrorist organisations at the behest of international powers, including the United States.
Apoorva Shukla is a journalist at Times Now, where she thrives on dissecting political developments both at home and abroad. A graduate of Delhi Univ...View More
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