Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Acknowledged Training Militants for Kashmir, Praised Jihadist Figures, Old Interview Reveals

Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Acknowledged Training Militants for Kashmir, Praised Jihadist Figures, Old Interview Reveals

Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf acknowledged in a past interview that militants were trained in Pakistan to fight in Kashmir, remarks that continue to draw regional attention.

New Delhi:
Fresh controversy has emerged over Pakistan’s long-standing position on Jammu and Kashmir following the resurfacing of an interview in which former Pakistani President and Army Chief General (retd) Pervez Musharraf openly acknowledged that militants were trained on Pakistani soil to fight against Indian security forces. In the same interview, Musharraf described several globally designated terrorists — including Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and Jalaluddin Haqqani — as “heroes” during a particular phase of Pakistan’s strategic history.

The interview, originally recorded several years ago, was reshared in November 2019 by senior Pakistani politician and former senator Farhatullah Babar on social media. Its renewed circulation has drawn attention to Musharraf’s candid admissions, which appear to contradict Pakistan’s repeated assertions at international forums that it does not support militancy or interfere in Kashmir.

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Musharraf’s Statements on Kashmir Militancy

In the interview, Musharraf stated that young men from Kashmir who crossed into Pakistan were welcomed, trained, and supported to fight Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir. He described these fighters as “Mujahideen” and acknowledged that militant organizations operating against India grew during this period.

“Those Kashmiris who came to Pakistan were welcomed like heroes,” Musharraf said in the interview. “We trained them, supported them, and considered them Mujahideen fighting against the Indian Army.”

According to Musharraf, groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba expanded significantly during this phase. Lashkar-e-Taiba is designated as a terrorist organization by India, the United States, the UnitedNations, and several other countries, and has been linked to multiple major attacks, including the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The former Pakistani leader’s remarks stand in stark contrast to Islamabad’s consistent claim that it offers only moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiris and that allegations of militant training are “baseless.”

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Calling Jihadist Leaders “Heroes”

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Musharraf’s remarks was his characterization of several internationally wanted terrorists as “heroes” of Pakistan during a specific historical period.

In the interview, Musharraf said that figures such as Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda’s former leader; Ayman al-Zawahiri, his successor; and Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the Haqqani network, were once viewed favorably within Pakistan’s strategic establishment.

“Haqqani was our hero. Osama bin Laden was our hero. Ayman al-Zawahiri was also seen as a hero,” Musharraf said, while adding that global perceptions later changed.

Musharraf attempted to contextualize these remarks by arguing that the geopolitical environment of the time shaped Pakistan’s policies and alliances, particularly during the Cold War and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

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Afghanistan, the Soviet War, and Pakistan’s Strategy

Expanding on his remarks, Musharraf referred to events dating back to 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. He said Pakistan, with support from the United States and other Western allies, played a central role in mobilizing and training religious fighters to resist Soviet forces.

“We deployed religious fighters to Afghanistan in 1979 to benefit Pakistan and keep the Soviet Army out,” Musharraf said. “Mujahideen were brought from across the world, trained, armed, and sent to fight.”

He acknowledged that the Taliban later emerged from this ecosystem and were also trained and supported during their early years. According to Musharraf, these fighters were once celebrated domestically because they aligned with Pakistan’s strategic objectives at the time.

However, he noted that the global environment changed after the end of the Cold War and especially following the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

“The world began to see things differently,” Musharraf said. “Our heroes became villains.”

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Farhatullah Babar’s Criticism

The interview was reshared by Farhatullah Babar, a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and a vocal critic of Pakistan’s security policies. In his social media post, Babar highlighted Musharraf’s remarks as evidence of what he described as self-serving strategies that had devastating long-term consequences.

Babar argued that Pakistan’s policy of nurturing militant groups for regional objectives resulted in widespread instability and violence, particularly affecting Pashtun communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“Gen Musharraf blurts that militants were nurtured and touted as ‘heroes’ to fight in Kashmir,” Babar wrote. “If it resulted in the destruction of two generations of Pashtuns, it didn’t matter.”

Babar called for a truth and reconciliation-style commission to examine who formulated and benefited from these policies and to assess their long-term impact on Pakistani society.

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Implications for Pakistan’s Kashmir Narrative

Musharraf’s statements are frequently cited by Indian officials and analysts as evidence supporting India’s claim that Pakistan has actively sponsored militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. India has long accused Pakistan of running training camps, providing arms, and facilitating infiltration across the Line of Control (LoC), charges that Islamabad has consistently denied.

At international platforms such as the United Nations, Pakistan has maintained that Kashmir is an indigenous freedom movement and that allegations of cross-border terrorism are politically motivated. However, Musharraf’s remarks appear to contradict these official positions.

Indian strategic experts argue that the interview reinforces long-held concerns about Pakistan’s use of militant proxies as instruments of state policy.

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Musharraf’s Legacy and Past Admissions

This is not the first time Musharraf has made controversial admissions regarding militancy. During his years in power from 1999 to 2008, he often portrayed himself as a pragmatic leader attempting to balance domestic pressures, military interests, and international expectations.

In earlier interviews and memoirs, Musharraf acknowledged that Pakistan used militant groups as leverage in regional conflicts, though he later claimed to have shifted course after 2001 under international pressure.

Despite officially banning several militant organizations, critics argue that Pakistan’s actions were inconsistent and selective, allowing some groups to operate under different names or with reduced scrutiny.

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International Context and Counterterrorism Concerns

Musharraf’s comments also resonate in the broader context of global counterterrorism efforts. The United States and its allies have repeatedly expressed concerns about militant safe havens in the region and about the role of state actors in enabling extremist networks.

While Pakistan has pointed to its sacrifices in the fight against terrorism — including thousands of civilian and military casualties — critics say these losses were, in part, a consequence of earlier policies that empowered extremist groups.

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Political and Diplomatic Fallout

Although the interview dates back several years, its resurfacing continues to fuel debate in South Asia, particularly amid strained India-Pakistan relations. Diplomatic ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbors remain limited, with dialogue largely frozen following incidents of cross-border violence and terrorist attacks.

Indian officials have often cited statements by Pakistani leaders, including Musharraf, to counter Islamabad’s claims on international platforms and to strengthen India’s case against terrorism sponsorship.

Pakistan’s current leadership has largely distanced itself from Musharraf’s legacy, emphasizing that past policies should not define the country’s present stance. However, analysts note that such admissions complicate Pakistan’s efforts to reshape its international image.

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Conclusion: A Rare Admission With Lasting Impact

Pervez Musharraf’s interview remains one of the most explicit acknowledgments by a former Pakistani head of state regarding the training and support of militants for operations in Kashmir and Afghanistan. His characterization of jihadist leaders as “heroes” during an earlier era has drawn sharp criticism and continues to be referenced in debates on regional security and terrorism.

While Musharraf attempted to frame his remarks as reflections of a different geopolitical time, critics argue that the consequences of those policies are still being felt across South Asia. The interview serves as a reminder of how strategic decisions made decades ago continue to shape regional tensions, diplomatic narratives, and security challenges today.

 

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