Pakistan Defense Minister: Aid to Afghan Wars Was Political Decision, Not Jihad

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif described Islamabad's involvement in Afghanistan's wars as a political decision driven by miscalculations, rather than jihad or defense of Islam.

Speaking in Pakistan's National Assembly amid criticism of decades-long policies toward Afghanistan, Asif said Pakistan intervened for political legitimacy and support from major powers. He stated, "We got involved in two wars without political-security calculations in Afghan affairs. The Soviet presence in Afghanistan was not an occupation; Pakistan entered related wars not for Islam, but to secure political interests and support from superpowers. The Afghan government at the time had invited the Soviets, and the narrative of Afghanistan's occupation is an American one."

Asif added that Pakistan even altered its curriculum to prepare for what he called a "US-made jihad," rewriting its history in the process. "We learned nothing from that jihad; instead, we rewrote our entire history to fit it. This is history, not a story; they abandoned us afterward."

Addressing the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Asif claimed Taliban leaders confirmed the group's presence in Afghanistan but refused security guarantees to Pakistan. He recounted a meeting with senior Taliban officials where they offered to remove or relocate TTP fighters in exchange for money, but provided no assurances. Similar concerns were acknowledged in talks in Doha, Istanbul, and Riyadh, yet no guarantees followed.

The Taliban have not responded to these remarks. This comes as UN-confirmed reports note TTP and other militants in Afghanistan, despite Taliban denials. Tensions are rising with increased attacks in Pakistan, including a suicide bombing on a Shia mosque in Islamabad, which Pakistani officials link to Afghanistan. Pakistan's president stated the Taliban have created a situation "worse than 11 September," turning Afghanistan into a terrorist safe haven.