US used Pakistan like toilet paper: Defence Minister Khwaja Asifs big admission

PTC News Desk: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif made a strong statement acknowledging Islamabad’s past ties with the United States, alleging that Washington used Pakistan for its strategic goals and later abandoned it once its objectives were achieved. Addressing Pakistan’s National Assembly, Asif admitted that the country has often tried to deny its history linked to terrorism, describing it as a mistake made by former military rulers.

He also described Pakistan’s participation in two Afghan wars as a serious error, stating that the terrorism Pakistan faces today is a consequence of those past decisions. Speaking about the Pakistan-US alliance, Asif said the country’s realignment with Washington after 1999, especially following the September 11, 2001 attacks, caused long-term damage. He remarked that Pakistan was treated as expendable, claiming it was used and then discarded by the United States.

Asif further said that Pakistan again sided with the US during the American-led war in Afghanistan after 2001, which led to it distancing itself from the Taliban. He added that while the US eventually pulled out of the region, Pakistan was left dealing with ongoing violence, rising extremism and economic pressure. 

The minister also rejected the claim that Pakistan’s involvement in the Afghan conflicts was motivated by religion. He admitted that Pakistanis were sent to fight under the label of jihad, calling the justification misleading and harmful.

He told Parliament that former military rulers Zia-ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf joined the Afghan war not for religious reasons but to gain favour with a global superpower.

"We deny our history and do not accept our mistakes. Terrorism is a blowback of the mistakes committed by dictators in the past," the minister said

"The losses we suffered can never be compensated," Asif added, calling Pakistan's mistakes 'irreversible'.