'Politicians don’t even...': Khawaja Asif makes a rare confession on Pakistan's 'fallen soldiers' | Watch video

This was not the first time Asif has spoken bluntly about Pakistan’s past.

• Pakistan's Defence Minister admits fallen soldiers are not properly honoured
• Politicians often skip funerals of troops killed in action, sparking debate
• Asif calls Pakistan's past support for militant groups a "mistake"

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In a rare and politically sensitive admission, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has acknowledged in Parliament that the country does not properly honour many of its soldiers killed in action.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Asif said politicians often do not even attend the funerals of military personnel who die in operations, a statement that has triggered debate in a country where the armed forces occupy a central role in national identity.

The remarks mark one of the most direct public acknowledgements by a senior Pakistani official about how fallen soldiers are treated.

Big admission in Pakistan’s Parliament: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admits Pakistan does not properly honour soldiers killed in action and that politicians often don’t even attend their funerals. #ReformaLaboral#poupettekenza#paobc#paofc#MilinSS26#sramhrpic.twitter.com/AX4NmcgtNI

— Afsana (@Afsana1125309) February 12, 2026

“Politicians don’t attend their funerals”

During his address, Asif said that soldiers who lose their lives in action frequently do not receive the level of public recognition they deserve.

He stated that political leaders often skip funeral ceremonies of troops killed in action, implicitly questioning the state’s commitment to visibly honouring its own servicemen.

The comments were striking because Pakistan’s military is widely regarded as the country’s most powerful institution, and public reverence for 'shuhada,' martyrs, is deeply embedded in official rhetoric.

Kargil legacy resurfaces

The issue of recognition for fallen soldiers is not new.

During the 1999 Kargil conflict, Pakistan maintained that those fighting Indian forces were Kashmiri “freedom fighters,” not regular Pakistani troops. For years, Islamabad did not officially acknowledge its soldiers killed in the conflict.

More than a decade later, in 2010, the Pakistan Army quietly updated its 'Shuhada' (martyrs) section online to include 453 personnel from the Northern Light Infantry who had died during Kargil.

Asif’s remarks bring that unresolved history back into public discussion.

Broader policy admissions

In the same parliamentary speech, Asif also reflected on past strategic decisions, saying Pakistan paid a heavy price for realigning with the United States after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

“The costs of realigning with the US after 1999, particularly following the September 11 attacks, were devastating,” he told lawmakers. “Pakistan was treated worse than a piece of toilet paper, used for a purpose and then thrown away.”

He described Pakistan’s participation in both Afghan wars as a 'mistake,' arguing that the decision to back US military campaigns ultimately fuelled militancy and radicalisation within Pakistan itself.

According to Asif, while American forces eventually withdrew from Afghanistan, Pakistan was left to deal with prolonged violence, economic strain and internal instability.

A rare admission on militancy

This was not the first time Asif has spoken bluntly about Pakistan’s past.

Last year, in an interview with a British news channel, he admitted that Pakistan had “trained, supported and funded terrorist organisations for about three decades,” calling it “dirty work” carried out for the United States and Western allies.

In Parliament, he again referred to Pakistan’s past links to militancy as a “mistake committed by dictators in the past,” suggesting that earlier military regimes had set policies whose consequences are still being felt.

Pakistan has long faced international scrutiny over alleged terror infrastructure on its soil, particularly groups targeting India and Afghanistan. Islamabad has repeatedly denied supporting terrorism and says it has taken action against banned organisations under domestic law.