Foreign military bases established to protect Israel, not muslim countries: Khawaja Asif

SIALKOT: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that foreign military bases in the Middle East were not established to protect Muslim countries but primarily to safeguard the interests of foreign powers and Israel.

Addressing the annual convocation of the University of Central Punjab in Sialkot on Saturday, Asif said the Islamic world had mistakenly believed that overseas military bases would guarantee its security.

“Pakistan has shown the Islamic world a new path: foreign military bases cannot protect you. They were perhaps never established for your protection, but to safeguard their own interests and protect Israel,” he said.

The defence minister stressed that nations could ensure their security through their own strength rather than relying on foreign military installations.

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Referring to Pakistan’s recent military confrontation with India, Marka-e-Haq, Asif said Pakistan had defeated an enemy five times larger than itself, earning international recognition and enhancing the country’s diplomatic standing.

He said the world had realised that Pakistan was capable of confronting a much larger military power.

Asif credited Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s leadership and ongoing diplomatic efforts for strengthening Pakistan’s international position, adding that the country’s diplomatic journey had entered a new phase following the military confrontation.

The defence minister said younger generations lacked sufficient knowledge of the country’s history, holding successive governments responsible for changes to the national curriculum.

He said governments had altered textbooks to prolong their own rule and remove historical facts that did not serve their interests.

Referring to Pakistan’s involvement in the US-led war in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union, Asif said the country had changed not only its curriculum but also its interpretation of religion to serve American interests.

He recalled that after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, the United States abandoned Pakistan, leaving the country to deal with the consequences.

He added that another undemocratic ruler later offered Pakistan’s services to Washington, the consequences of which the country was still facing.

Asif said no government, including the incumbent administration, had demonstrated the courage to reverse the changes made to the national curriculum.

He said he had repeatedly raised the issue on the floor of the National Assembly, stressing that correcting the curriculum was a national responsibility.