Pakistan's Defence Minister recently made a bold statement, seemingly admitting that the country has been supporting and training terrorists for the past 30 years. However, he shifted the blame to the United States and Western countries. This statement supports India’s long-standing claim and comes shortly after the terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 tourists lost their lives — an attack for which New Delhi has indirectly held Islamabad responsible.

Journalist Yalda Hakim questioned Khawaja Asif on Pakistan's lengthy history of "supporting" terrorist groups, and Asif responded, "We have been doing this dirty work for the US and the West, including Britain, for three decades." He quickly clarified, though, that it was a "mistake" and that Pakistan suffered as a result. "If we had not joined the war against the Soviet Union and later on, following the 9/11 attacks, Pakistan would have an unimpeachable track record," claimed the minister.

Pakistan supported the United States during the Cold War against the Soviet Union and later backed the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks carried out by Al-Qaeda in New York. Pakistani minister Khawaja Asif even said that the U.S. had used terrorists as "proxies" to fight against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. He also accused India of faking the Pahalgam terror attack to create tension in the region, especially targeting Pakistan.

In the interview, Asif boldly claimed that the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba no longer exists and said he had never heard of The Resistance Front, a group believed to be linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba that took responsibility for the attack. "Lashkar is an old name. It does not exist... Our government has condemned it (Pahalgam attack) categorically. Pakistan has been the victim of terrorism for decades," he further said. When asked if Pakistan was worried about a possible military response from India, like the Balakot airstrikes after the 2019 Pulwama attack, Asif cautioned that it could lead to an "all-out war." "If there is an all-out attack or something like that, then obviously there will be an all-out war... The clash between two nuclear powers is always worrisome," Asif said.

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi firmly stated that India will "identify, trace, and punish" every terrorist and their supporters involved in the Pahalgam massacre, the minister has now responded. India has taken strong action against Pakistan in response, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, reducing diplomatic ties, and cancelling all visas for Pakistani citizens. In turn, Pakistan has also taken similar countermeasures.