‘Treated worse than a piece of toilet paper’: What Pakistan defence minister’s remarks reveal about see-saw ties with US

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It seems like Pakistan is once again at odds with the United States. In 2025, Islamabad and Washington appeared to rediscover strategic alignment under US President Donald Trump’s second administration, marked by high-profile meetings, and economic initiatives spanning crypto policy and critical minerals. Yet, by February 2026, a sharply worded intervention by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has reopened old wounds about the costs of past alliances with Washington. Addressing Pakistan’s National Assembly earlier this week, Asif delivered an unusually candid account of Islamabad’s role in the Afghan wars and its long partnership with the United States. STORY CONTINUES BELOW…