Khalilzad Questions Islamabad’s Role Amid Pakistan Defense Minister’s Remarks

Zalmay Khalilzad, former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Peace, responded to recent comments by Pakistan’s Defense Minister by raising the question of whether Islamabad pursued a “double game” policy during the Afghanistan war. Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif, recently told the country’s parliament that Islamabad effectively “rented itself out to the United States” after the September 11 attacks, aligning with Washington in the US-led war on terror. Khalilzad noted that while Pakistan received financial and military aid from the US at the time, it was simultaneously accused of providing safe havens to groups fighting against American forces and their allies in Afghanistan. He asked whether this meant Pakistan was playing both sides of the conflict. The former US envoy also raised the possibility that Pakistani officials might have received favors or “rent” from another power in exchange for providing refuge to anti-American fighters. According to him, clear answers to these questions could offer a deeper understanding of regional policies during the Afghanistan war. These remarks came a day after Pakistan’s Defense Minister stated that past wars in Afghanistan were driven more by political aims than by a focus on the country’s long-term stability.