'We have been doing this dirty work...' Pakistan defence minister admits country being terror haven

In a stunning admission before the international media, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has admitted that his country has been supporting, training, and funding terrorist organizations "for last three decades" -- a vindication of India’s long-held stand in global forums.

Asif made the statement during an interview with Sky News journalist Yalda Hakim, where he was asked about the renewed tensions between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attack in J&K’s Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.

During the interview, journalist Yalda Hakim asked Khawaja Asif if he agreed that Pakistan has a long history of “supporting, training, and funding terrorist organisations". Asif responded with a confession: "Yes, we have been doing this dirty work for America and the West, including Britain, for the last three decades."

During the interview, Asif also bizarrely claimed the Lashkar-e-Taiba doesn’t exist anymore and denied not knowing about the presence of its offshoot The Resistance Front, which has claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack. “Lashkar is an old name. It does not exist," he said.

Asif stressed that Pakistan's military was "prepared for any eventuality" amid growing diplomatic tensions. "We will measure our response to whatever is initiated by India. It would be a measured response," he said. "If there is an all-out attack or something like that, then obviously there will be an all-out war."

When asked whether the global community should be concerned, the Pakistan defence minister responded in affirmative: "The clash between two nuclear powers is always worrisome... If things get wrong, there could be a tragic outcome of this confrontation."

On Wednesday, India announced a raft of measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the expulsion of Pakistani military attaches and the immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post.

Pakistan has rejected India’s suspension of the treaty and said any measures to stop the flow of water “belonging to Pakistan" under the pact will be seen as an “act of war". “Any attempt to stop or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan as per the Indus Waters Treaty and the usurpation of the rights of lower riparian will be considered as an act of war," according to an official statement by Pakistan.

India has also revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals from April 27 and advised Indian nationals residing in Pakistan to return home at the earliest.

New Delhi also announced suspending visa services to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect as part of the retaliatory measures over the cross-border links to the worst terror strike on civilians in India since the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

Amid nationwide outrage over the terror strike, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the killers of Pahalgam will be pursued “to the ends of the earth" as he promised to “identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers". “Friends, today from the soil of Bihar, I say to the whole world India will identify, track, and punish every terrorist and their backers," he said, adding, "We will pursue them to the ends of the earth. India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism. Terrorism will not go unpunished."