THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
In a rare moment of brutal honesty from a senior Pakistani official, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has made headlines with shocking admissions about Pakistan’s relationship with the United States. His comments, made in parliament and international media, have exposed uncomfortable truths about Pakistan’s role as a Western proxy—and created an awkward contradiction with the Pakistani military’s current romance with the Trump administration.
On February 10, 2026, standing before Pakistan’s National Assembly, Khawaja Asif delivered a scathing indictment of his country’s alliance with Washington. Pakistan, he declared, had been “treated worse than a piece of toilet paper” by the United States—used for strategic purposes and then discarded when no longer needed.
This wasn’t just rhetorical flourish. Asif went further, calling Pakistan’s alignment with Washington “a grave mistake” that left the country weakened and unstable. He accused Pakistan of allowing itself to be dragged into wars that were never truly its own, paying a devastating price in blood and treasure.
The Defence Minister didn’t mince words about who was responsible. He pointed fingers at two military dictators: General Zia-ul-Haq, who tied Pakistan to the anti-Soviet jihad in Afghanistan during the 1980s, and General Pervez Musharraf, who aligned Pakistan with America’s War on Terror after 9/11. Both, Asif argued, made deals for short-term gains that left Pakistan dealing with long-term catastrophes—terrorism, radicalization, economic damage, and international isolation.
The blowback, he admitted, continues today. The terrorism plaguing Pakistan is a direct consequence of these past mistakes, and the losses suffered can never be compensated.
The “Dirty Work” Confession
But the “toilet paper” comment wasn’t Asif’s first bombshell. Nearly a year earlier, in April 2025, he had made an even more damaging admission during an interview with Sky News.
“We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades,” Asif acknowledged, adding that this included work for “the West, including Britain.”
When pressed about Pakistan’s history of backing, supporting, training, and funding terrorist organizations, Asif didn’t deny it. Instead, he defended it as work done on behalf of Western powers. He pointed out that in the 1980s, when Pakistan was fighting alongside the West against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, “all these terrorists of today were wining and dining in Washington and treated like VIPs.”
His message was clear: Pakistan’s fingerprints may be on terrorism in the region, but those prints were made while wearing American gloves.
Asif went on to say that if Pakistan had not joined the war against the Soviet Union and the war after 9/11, “Pakistan’s track record would have been unimpeachable.” It was a stunning admission that Pakistan’s involvement in terrorism was a choice made to serve Western interests, not Pakistani ones.
Why This Embarrasses the Army
These comments would be controversial coming from any Pakistani official. Coming from the Defence Minister while the Army Chief is actively courting Washington makes them explosively awkward.
General Asim Munir, Pakistan’s current Army Chief, has become remarkably close to President Donald Trump. Trump has publicly called Munir “my favourite field marshal” and praised him as “a great fighter” and “an exceptional human being.” He’s mentioned Munir favorably since June 2025.
In an unprecedented move, Trump hosted Munir for a private lunch at the White House in June—the first time a US president has hosted a Pakistani army chief who wasn’t also serving as the country’s official leader. Pakistan’s government was so grateful for Trump’s role during a crisis with India that they formally nominated him for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
Meanwhile, Munir has consolidated extraordinary power at home through what some observers call a “constitutional coup.” He’s secured lifetime immunity from prosecution, command over all armed forces, and an extension of his term until 2030. He’s effectively become Pakistan’s ruler, and Trump has shown he’s prepared to work directly with Pakistan’s real power center.
The Glaring Contradiction
Here’s the problem: While Khawaja Asif publicly condemns Pakistan’s historical subservience to America—calling it being used like “toilet paper” and doing the West’s “dirty work”—his own Army Chief is rebuilding that exact relationship.
The contradiction couldn’t be starker. On one hand, Pakistan’s Defence Minister is telling the world that aligning with America was a catastrophic mistake that brought terrorism, instability, and humiliation. On the other hand, Pakistan’s most powerful man is cultivating personal ties with the American president and positioning Pakistan once again as a key US partner.
The elephant in the room is obvious: Is Asim Munir repeating the mistakes of Zia and Musharraf? Is Pakistan, under military control once again, about to be “used and discarded” for a third time?
Why Asif’s Comments Matter
Some might dismiss Asif’s statements as political theatre or anti-American posturing. But they matter for several reasons.
First, they represent a rare public acknowledgment from inside Pakistan’s government about the real costs of the country’s alliance with the West. Pakistani officials rarely speak this candidly about their own complicity in terrorism or their subordinate relationship with Washington.
Second, they validate what India and others have long alleged: that Pakistan served as a proxy for Western interests, supporting terrorist groups and destabilizing the region while claiming innocence. When Pakistan’s own Defence Minister admits to “doing dirty work” for the West, it’s hard to dismiss such allegations as propaganda.
Third, they expose the fundamental tension in Pakistani politics between civilian politicians and the military establishment. Asif can afford to speak truth to power because he’s a civilian minister with limited real authority. But his words highlight how Pakistan’s actual ruler—the Army Chief—is pursuing a completely different agenda.
Finally, they raise uncomfortable questions about Pakistan’s future. If the lessons of history are clear—that aligning with American strategic interests brings short-term benefits but long-term disasters—why is Pakistan’s military leadership repeating the pattern?
Conclusion
History, as the saying goes, doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes. Pakistan in 2026 looks uncomfortably similar to Pakistan in previous decades: a military-dominated state aligning itself closely with American interests, led by a powerful general who believes he can manage the relationship differently than his predecessors.
Khawaja Asif’s blunt comments serve as a reminder of how those previous chapters ended—with Pakistan left holding the bag, dealing with terrorism and instability, while America moved on to other priorities. His words are a warning, delivered from within the heart of Pakistan’s government, that the country is once again heading down a familiar and dangerous path.
Whether anyone in Pakistan’s real power structure is listening remains to be seen. But the Defence Minister has at least ensured that when this chapter of history is written, no one can say they weren’t warned.
Reference
1.https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/treated-worse-than-toilet-paper-khawaja-asif-makes-explosive-claims-on-us-pakistan-ties
2.https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/treated-worse-than-toilet-paper-pakistans-defence-minister-khawaja-asif-admits-grave-mistakes-in-backing-us-video
3.https://www.opindia.com/news-updates/us-used-pakistan-then-threw-it-away-like-toilet-paper-defence-minister-khawaja-asif-admits-cost-alliances-with-the-west/
4.https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/weve-been-doing-wests-dirty-work-for-decades-pak-minister-admits-country-funded-trained-terrorists/
5.https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world/khawaja-asif-pakistan-defence-minister-admits-islamabad-support-for-terror-groups-did-dirty-work-for-us-pahalgam-terror-attacks-2025-04-25-987260
