In a major outburst in Pakistan‘s parliament, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif questioned his country’s actions over the past two decades to “appease the United States”. This foreign policy initiative was the major cause of violence, radicalisation and economic strain the country is facing today, he added.
“For not one, but two decades, we rented ourselves out,” he said.
“The only objective was to gain American support…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,” Asif added.
Khwaja Asif admits in Parliament that Pakistan rented itself out to the U.S. for war and was later discarded “like toilet paper”. Afghanistan was destroyed by policies now openly acknowledged in parliament. Millions suffered. Generations were lost. The world cannot look away now… pic.twitter.com/aEQjrm16ME
— Mariam Solaimankhil (@Mariamistan) February 10, 2026
‘An irreversible mistake’: What Asif said in the parliament about Afghanistan conflicts
In his address, Asif further challenged the decades-old narrative and argued that the anti-Soviet war in Afghanistan during the 1980s was dictated by American interests. He insisted that the circumstances never warranted a declaration of jihad.
Asif also added that the costs of realigning with the US after 1999, particularly following the September 11, 2001 attacks, were devastating.
“Pakistan was treated worse than toilet paper and was used for a purpose and then thrown away,” he said in the parliament.
‘US to blame for our economic strain’
The Pakistani Defence Minister also blamed the US for the violence, radicalisation and economic strain the country is facing for siding with Washington during the post-2001 period.
“The losses we suffered can never be compensated…The mistakes are ‘irreversible’.”
He highlighted that even Pakistan’s education system was reshaped to legitimise these wars and stated that several ideological changes still remain embedded to this day.
What was Pakistan’s role in the Afghanistan conflicts?
Pakistan played a key role in the two most significant modern conflicts in Afghanistan, acting as a “frontline state” for the US.
In the Soviet-Afghan war, Pakistan put in strategic effort to counter Soviet influence and secure support from the US. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), in fact, served as the primary conduit for Operation Cyclone, funnelling billions in US and Saudi aid to Afghan rebels.
Roughly 250,000 foreign and Afghan fighters were trained on Pakistani soil to wage “jihad” against the Soviet-backed regime, which led to a massive refugee influx from Afghanistan to Pakistan.
Further, after the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan became a major non-NATO Ally of the US while maintaining complex ties with the Taliban. Pakistan provided vital logistical supply lines for NATO forces; at times, over 80% of coalition supplies entered through the port of Karachi, as per several reports. Currently, Pakistan’s ties with Taliban have soured significantly as the country continues to face an active insurgency from the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).