Ahsan Iqbal reminds Trump of Soviet-Afghan War, calls it the root cause of modern conflict

Published
21
Ahsan Iqbal answers Trump's criticism — Dawn News
Ahsan Iqbal answers Trump's criticism — Dawn News

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday lashed out at the incumbent US administration, saying that no one has the right to label Pakistan a 'liar' given its sizable contribution to the so-called 'War on Terror'.

In a strongly worded speech, he also reminded US President Donald Trump how the region's terrorism-marred past is actually the US's own doing.

Speaking at the Police Lines in Islamabad, the interior minister was responding to the US president's recent criticism of Pakistan as a 'lying' and 'deceiving' nation.

"No one has the right to call Pakistan a liar when it has made the biggest sacrifices in the war against terror," the minister said.

"The US president's recent remarks are akin to belittling our sacrifices. We are a dignified nation and no one has the right to attack our dignity."

Iqbal also brought up the Soviet–Afghan War of the late '70s and '80s to remind Trump that the radicalisation of Afghanistan, which the US now detests, actually began at its own behest..

"I want to remind the US that these thorns are your inventions," said Iqbal. "As soon as the war against the Soviets ended, you withdrew and went home without thinking what your radicalizing of Afghanistan to create an anti-Soviet narrative would lead to. The seeds of the extremist views you used to win that war weren't going to suddenly start producing computer chips: they were going to breed terrorism and extremism."

"The Pakistani nation is still paying for those seeds that you planted," he said.

The interior minister further said that the US did nothing for the 3.5 million Afghan refugees Pakistan allowed into its territory during the Soviet-Afghan war.

"Not one Syrian refugee is given entry into the US but we allowed 3.5m Afghan refugees who had come to Pakistan to fight your war against the Soviets; what did you ever do for them?" he questioned.

The minister also said that Pakistani forces' anti-terrorism drive is the very reason terrorism remains in check in the region.

"We are playing an integral role at both international and regional levels to maintain international peace," he said. "We have battled forces that are headquartered in Afghanistan. We have sacrificed our troops in [Operation] Raddul Fasad to rid this region of this menace."

Iqbal also advised the Trump administration to not let itself get manipulated by India, saying: "If President Trump and company want peace in Afghanistan, they should see it from their own perspective and not India's."

Reiterating that Afghanistan's stability is of utmost importance to Pakistan, he said: "Pakistan is the only country that shares such a large border with Afghanistan. Hence, I want to respectfully tell President Trump that no one has more at stake in Afghanistan's stability than Pakistan. We not only have brotherly relations with Afghanistan but will also do all we can for its peace."

Opinion

Editorial

Muddled hierarchy
Updated 15 Nov, 2026

Muddled hierarchy

The jurisdiction of the two courts and a mechanism for settling disputes between them should be spelt out in law, not left to judges to fight over.
Growing crisis
15 Nov, 2026

Growing crisis

AN emergency can be judged by the speed with which it draws an effective response. The National Population Council’s...
Organised rackets
15 Nov, 2026

Organised rackets

ON the International Day against Transnational Organised Crime, observed today, Pakistan finds itself in a tight...
Referendum talk
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Referendum talk

Unless the PPP is deliberately using Sindh as a bargaining chip, it should issue a clarification with a clear, consistent position on new administrative units, not one tailored to protect its home turf.
Mineral wealth
Updated 14 Nov, 2026

Mineral wealth

Minerals should not be presented as a solution to Pakistan’s long-term economic difficulties. The aim should be to build an industrial base rather than export raw materials.
Late diagnosis
14 Nov, 2026

Late diagnosis

AS we mark World Diabetes Day today, Pakistan faces a troubling question: how many people are living with diabetes...