Pakistan’s Shocking Admission: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif Accepts Funding Terrorism for Decades

In a startling admission, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif acknowledged that the country has been supporting and funding terrorist groups for decades. Speaking in an interview with Sky News, Asif said,

“We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, and the West, including Britain.”

This statement comes amid growing global concern over Pakistan’s role in harbouring terrorism, especially in light of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which left 27 innocent tourists dead.

Pahalgam Terror Attack Sparks Diplomatic Firestorm

The Pahalgam attack, allegedly orchestrated by The Resistance Front (TRF) — a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba — has reignited tensions between India and Pakistan. The Indian government has taken swift diplomatic countermeasures, including suspending trade relations, Indus Water Treaty negotiations, and revoking SAARC visas for Pakistani nationals.

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Imran Khan’s 2019 Statement Echoes Khawaja Asif’s Claims

This isn’t the first time a Pakistani leader has openly admitted the country’s links to terrorist groups. In 2019, former Prime Minister Imran Khan stated during an event in the US Institute of Peace that:

“We still have about 30,000–40,000 armed people who have been trained and fought in some part of Afghanistan or Kashmir.”

Khan highlighted that until his government came to power, previous administrations lacked the political will to curb militant groups operating within the country.

India’s Longstanding Accusations Against Pakistan

For decades, India has consistently accused Pakistan of using terrorism as a state-sponsored policy to destabilize Jammu & Kashmir and other regions. The Pahalgam attack is just the latest in a series of cross-border terrorist activities attributed to Pakistan-backed outfits.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs reiterated its stance, citing mounting evidence that terrorist infrastructures thrive under Pakistani patronage. India has called on the international community to hold Pakistan accountable.

Global Pressure Mounts on Pakistan

With both current and former Pakistani leaders admitting to harbouring, funding, and enabling terrorists, global pressure is increasing. Many international observers are demanding stronger action by the United Nations and world powers against Pakistan for violating international norms and fostering regional instability.

A Moment of Reckoning for Pakistan?

The admissions by Khawaja Asif and Imran Khan point to a deep-rooted issue within Pakistan’s security and foreign policy apparatus. As terrorism continues to claim innocent lives, the world watches closely to see whether Pakistan will face tangible consequences for its decades-long involvement in global and regional terrorism.