NewKerala.com

Pakistan's Afghan Wars Were For Political Gain, Not Religion: Khawaja Asif

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stated the country's involvement in Afghanistan's conflicts was a strategic move for political legitimacy and superpower support, not religious motives. He admitted Pakistan aligned with the US after 9/11, participating in the war for nearly two decades primarily to gain American backing. Asif highlighted the lasting damage, noting the education system was changed to fit a conflict narrative and has not been fully corrected. He concluded that Pakistan's leadership has repeatedly failed to admit past mistakes in its Afghan policy.

Key Points: Pakistan's Afghan Wars Sought Superpower Support: Defence Minister

  • Strategic choice for US backing
  • Post-9/11 alignment for political gain
  • Education system altered for conflict
  • Long-term societal impact
  • Admission of policy failures
2 min read

Pakistan got involved in Afghanistan conflict to secure support from global powers: Khawaja Asif

Pakistan's Defence Minister admits involvement in Afghanistan conflicts was for political legitimacy and US backing, not religious jihad, reshaping society.

"We did not enter these wars to defend Islam or for jihad. We entered them for political legitimacy and to secure the support of a superpower. - Khawaja Asif"

Islamabad, Feb 12

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Pakistan's involvement in Afghanistan's decades of conflict was driven by political legitimacy and securing support from global powers instead of religious motives, local media reported.

In his recent remarks at the National Assembly, Asif stated that Pakistan's involvement in wars related to Afghanistan, starting during the Cold War and continuing after September 11, 2001 attack was a strategic choice to get backing of international community, especially the United States, Afghan media outlet Amu Tv reported.

"We did not enter these wars to defend Islam or for jihad." Asif said in his speech. "We entered them for political legitimacy and to secure the support of a superpower."

Asif said Pakistan's policies towards Afghanistan since independence have been made according to shifting geopolitical calculations. He stated that what was termed as jihad during the Soviet-Afghan war was actually a proxy conflict which had participation of major powers, Amu Tv reported.

"That was not jihad. It was the war of a superpower." Asif stated, "And for that war, we changed our education system. Even today, that curriculum has not been fully corrected."

He mentioned that Pakistan rewrote its history according to the conflict narrative, highlighting the long-term social and ideological impact of those policies. "We reshaped society, politics and religion to fit that so-called jihad."

Khawaja Asif admitted that Pakistan did not learn after the Soviet withdrawal and again aligned itself with the US following the 9/11 attacks, remaining involved in the Washington-led war in Afghanistan for nearly 20 years, Amu Tv reported.

"For not one decade, but two decades, we rented ourselves out." He further said, "The only objective was to gain American support."

He stated that none of those behind the 9/11 attacks were Afghans and Afghanistan as a country was not responsible for it. However, he said that Pakistan became involved in the subsequent war following the 9/11 attacks. He said that Pakistan's leadership has repeatedly failed to admit mistakes they made in the past.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
This is a shocking confession. They "rented themselves out" for 20 years? And they changed their education system for a proxy war? It explains so much about the radicalization and the constant state of tension in our region. My heart goes out to the ordinary Afghans and Pakistanis who suffered the most.
A
Aman W
As an Indian, I appreciate the honesty, but it's too little, too late. Their policies created the Taliban and fostered terrorism that spilled across the border into Jammu & Kashmir and the rest of India. Accountability is needed, not just admissions in the National Assembly.
S
Sarah B
Living in Delhi, you always hear about "proxy wars" from our analysts. To hear it stated so bluntly by their own Defence Minister is surreal. It validates India's long-held position of engaging directly with the Afghan people and government, not through intermediaries.
V
Vikram M
The most damaging part is the education system comment. They indoctrinated a generation with a false narrative of jihad. That poison is hard to undo. India must be vigilant and continue investing in our own education and deradicalization efforts. Jai Hind.
K
Karthik V
A rare moment of clarity. But let's see if this leads to any real policy change. Or is this just for international consumption? Their establishment's mindset is hard to change. For India, our focus should remain on strengthening Afghanistan's sovereignty and our own security.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50