ISLAMABAD (Dispatches) -- 
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday admitted Pakistan’s past error in supporting terrorist organizations as “dirty work” for the West, acknowledging that the mistake has caused suffering for his country.
In an interview with Sky News, Asif responded to a question regarding Pakistan’s history of aiding terrorist organizations.
“We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, and the West, including Britain,” he said.
“That was a mistake, and we suffered for that, and that is why you are saying this to me,” Asif noted.
He 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 convenient for the big powers to blame Pakistan, which ‘fought’ the wars on their side in the 80s against the Soviet Union. All these terrorists of today were wining and dining in Washington.”
Asif’s comments have come days after a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir left at least 26 people dead.
India has accused Pakistan of funding and harboring The Resistance Front (TRF) which has taken responsibility for the attack and has suspended diplomatic ties with Pakistan.
Although Asif recognized the existence of terrorist organizations in Pakistan’s territory, he denied his government’s involvement in the attack in the Indian-administered Kashmir and said TRF does not exist.
Asif’s remarks are among the clearest acknowledgments by a Pakistani official about the country’s role in helping the U.S. to use terrorism as a tool of foreign policy.

While past Pakistani governments have admitted to supporting militants on behalf of the U.S. during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, few have linked that policy to the U.S. involvement in the creation of major terrorist organizations in the region.
The U.S. has not responded to Asif’s latest comments about the two countries’ cooperation in creating terrorist organizations.
The previous Afghan government accused Pakistan of financial and logistical support of Al-Qaeda and Taliban.
Pakistan has denied the accusation but its officials celebrated the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
In recent years, Pakistan has faced a surge of terrorist attacks, primarily carried out by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).