Been doing West's dirty work for 3 decades: Pak Defence Minister on backing terrorist organisations

This comes in the wake of the rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the terror attack of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 people were killed.

Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif, when asked about his country's track record of backing and funding terrorist organisations, said that they have been doing the West's dirty work for the past three decades.

This comes in the wake of the rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the terror attack of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, where at least 26 people were killed.

In a clip of the Pakistani Defence Minister's interview with Sky News, which is doing rounds on social media, Asif was posed the question, "You do admit, sir, that Pakistan has a long history of backing, supporting, training, and funding these terrorist organisations?"

Asif replied, "Well, we have been doing this dirty work for United States for about 3 decades. And (the) West, including Britain."

Following up to it, he was asked, "So that's your argument?"

Asif said, "No, it was a mistake, and we suffered for that. And that's why you're saying this to me. If we hadn't joined the war against Soviet Union and later on the war after 9/11, Pakistan's track record was unimpeachable track record."

Asif seemingly implied that Pakistan has been backing terrorist organisations, but doing so on orders of the Western powers.

Following the increased tensions, Pakistan's military on Friday morning had fired shots across the Line of Control, which India swiftly replied to, military sources said. There were no reports of any casualties, they said.

Further, houses of two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists allegedly involved in the Pahalgam attack were destroyed in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Friday.

The officials said security forces were conducting searches inside the houses of two LeT terrorists Adil Hussain Thokar and Asif Sheikh when the explosives already kept inside the houses went off.

On Thursday, India informed Pakistan of its decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance with immediate effect, saying Pakistan has breached the conditions of the treaty.

Sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan targeting Jammu and Kashmir impedes India's rights under the Indus Waters Treaty, India's Secretary of Water Resources Debashree Mukherjee said in a letter addressed to her Pakistani counterpart, Syed Ali Murtaza.

(With Agency inputs)