ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistan’s defense minister has admitted that the country supported terrorist groups for more than three decades, calling it a mistake tied to US-led foreign policy decisions — a rare public acknowledgment that comes amid renewed tensions with India following a deadly attack in Kashmir.
In an interview with Sky News, Asif said Pakistan had served the interests of the United States and its allies by backing militant groups during the Cold War and the global war on terror.
“Well, we have been doing this dirty work for the United States for three decades,” Asif said when asked directly whether Pakistan had a long history of supporting, funding and training terrorist.
“That was a mistake,” he added. “That’s why you’re saying this to me. If we had not joined the war against the Soviet Union and withdrawn from the war after 9/11, in this case, Pakistan’s track record was an unimpeachable track record.”
His comments came just days after a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir left at least 26 people dead, prompting India to suspend diplomatic engagement with Islamabad and accuse Pakistan of backing militant groups responsible for the assault.
Pakistani officials have denied involvement, instead accusing India of supporting armed separatist groups operating within Pakistan.
The fallout has again pushed relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors to a crisis point. Tensions over the disputed territory of Kashmir have long defined the political and military rivalry between India and Pakistan, with proxy violence frequently disrupting any attempts at sustained dialogue.
Asif’s remarks are among the clearest acknowledgments by a Pakistani official of the country’s role in fostering militancy as a tool of foreign policy. While past governments have admitted to supporting mujahideen fighters during the Soviet-Afghan war, few have linked that policy directly to long-term instability and strategic missteps.
The United States has not responded to Asif’s latest comments. In past years, American officials have both relied on and criticized Pakistan for its contradictory role in combating and harboring extremist groups.
