Khawaja Asif, Pakistan's defense minister, said that Pakistan had made a mistake by supporting, training, and funding terrorist organizations. He called this "dirty work" for the West. Presenter Yalda Hakim questioned Mr. in an interview with Sky News that aired overnight. Asif on Pakistan's response to the terrorist attack that killed 26 people this week in Pahalgam and its stance on terrorism. “You do admit, sir, that Pakistan has had a long history of backing and supporting and training and funding these terrorist organisations,” asked Ms. Hakim.
“Well, we have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, you know, and the West, including Britain,” replied Mr. Asif. “That was a mistake, and we suffered from that, and that is why you are saying this to me. If we had not joined the war against the Soviet Union and later on the war after 9/11, Pakistan's track record… was an unimpeachable track record,” he said.
“It is very convenient for… the big powers to blame Pakistan for whatever is happening in this region. When we were fighting the war on their side way back in the 80s against the Soviet Union, all these terrorists of today, they were wining and dining in Washington.
“And then came the 9/11 attacks. Again, the same situation was repeated. I think our governments then made a mistake,” he said, adding that Pakistan was “used as proxies” at the time.
The Minister was persuaded that Pakistan was to blame for the terror attack on Tuesday in Pahalgam and that The Resistance Front, which admitted responsibility for the attack, was an offshoot of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was to blame. “Lashkar-e-Taiba doesn’t exist in Pakistan anymore. It has died out. It has gone out of business; if the parent organization isn't there, how can the offshoot start here? Asif.
Asked if Pakistan fears an escalation as a result of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, the Minister said the country is prepared to respond “in kind”. “We will measure our response to whatever is initiated by India, according to that. In the virtual interview, he stated, "It would be a measured response; if there is an all-out attack or something similar, then obviously there will be an all-out war." Terrorists opened fire in Pahalgam on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people, mostly tourists, in the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019. The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the attack.
