Kabul, February 15: The statement made by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif in parliament, where he acknowledged that Pakistan “rented itself out” to the U.S. after 9/11, has sparked intense reactions in Afghanistan.
According to a report from the Afghan Diaspora Network, Asif’s remarks have reinforced the long-held belief among Afghans that Islamabad has supported extremist groups while simultaneously influencing regional narratives, costing Afghan society dearly.
The report indicates that several prominent Afghan leaders have accused Pakistan’s political and military establishment of adopting a “dual policy” in Afghanistan in response to Asif’s statement.
Former Afghan intelligence chief Rahmatullah Nabil described Asif’s comments as “not an honest admission, but an attempt to sanitize decades-old policies.” He pointed out contradictions in Asif’s statement, noting that the same leaders who now label Afghan policy as a political blunder were previously citing religious legitimacy during the Taliban’s return to power.
Nabil emphasized that Pakistan’s Afghan policy has always been a mix of ideology, geopolitics, and opportunism, and merely labeling it a “political mistake” is an attempt to evade the humanitarian costs borne by Afghans.
The report also mentions that former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad viewed Asif’s statement from a different perspective. Khalilzad noted that during the U.S.-led war against terrorism, Pakistan received billions in military and financial aid, while its security agencies continued to harbor the Taliban.
Former Afghan MP Mariam Solaimankhil stated that Asif’s comments are “not only contradictory but also dismissive of the suffering of the Afghan people.” She argued that Pakistan’s long-standing role in Afghanistan was not an accidental outcome of global politics but a planned strategy involving madrasa curricula and jihadist narratives.
Critics believe that Pakistan has not only been a victim of geopolitical pressures but has also actively contributed to the forces destabilizing Afghanistan.
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