‘Rented Ourselves Out For 2 Decades’: Why Khawaja Asif Says Pakistan Behaved Like US Mercenary

Last Updated:February 11, 2026, 12:22 IST

Pakistan’s Defence Minister says they did not enter these wars to defend Islam or for jihad, but just for US support. A look at the wars Khawaja Asif spoke about

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, in an outburst in Parliament, questioned his country’s actions over the past two decades to “appease the United States", as he analysed the returns.

“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," said Asif.

A look at the events Asif spoke about:

‘Not jihad, just an irreversible mistake’: What Asif said about the Afghanistan conflict

Asif said the costs of realigning with the US after 1999, particularly following the September 11, 2001 attacks, were devastating. “Pakistan was treated worse than a toilet paper and was used for a purpose and then thrown away," he said in Parliament.

Asif further challenged the decades-old narrative and argued that the anti-Soviet war in Afghanistan during the 1980s was dictated by American geopolitical interests rather than any genuine religious imperative, insisting that the circumstances never warranted a declaration of jihad.

The Defence Minister blamed the United States for the violence, radicalisation and economic strain it is still suffering for siding with Washington during the post-2001 period. Questioning Pakistan’s decision to re-align with the US after 1999, he said, “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 Pakistan did on ground

Pakistan played a key role in the two most significant modern conflicts in Afghanistan, acting as a “frontline state" for global superpowers in both.

1. The Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989)

Pakistan’s involvement was a strategic effort to counter Soviet influence and secure support from the United States. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) served as the primary conduit for Operation Cyclone, funnelling billions in US and Saudi aid to Afghan rebels.

Pakistan provided safe havens and military training for the Mujahideen. Roughly 250,000 foreign and Afghan fighters were trained on Pakistani soil to wage “jihad" against the Soviet-backed regime.

Pakistan hosted more than 3.2 million Afghan refugees, then the largest refugee population in the world. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) frequently intercepted Soviet aircraft violating its airspace, shooting down at least eight.

2. The US-Led War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

Following 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. It also provided intelligence that led to the capture of several senior al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders.

While publicly an American ally, Pakistan was frequently accused of providing covert assistance and sanctuary to the Taliban insurgency. This was driven by a desire for “strategic depth" to ensure a friendly government in Kabul and limit Indian influence.

Since the 2021 Taliban takeover, relations have soured significantly. Pakistan now faces an active insurgency from the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it claims operates from safe havens within the now Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. This has escalated into direct border skirmishes and Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghan territory as recently as October 2025.

News explainers ‘Rented Ourselves Out For 2 Decades’: Why Khawaja Asif Says Pakistan Behaved Like US Mercenary

Read More