‘Mujahideen trained by us in the past hang around our necks’: Pak PM aide's stunning admission amid PoJK unrest | Watch

Published 30 July 2026 · politics

In a candid admission, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's Adviser on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has said that militants once trained as ‘Mujahideen’ had become

In a candid admission, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's Adviser on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has said that militants once trained as ‘Mujahideen’ had become a burden for the country. "These are the same people we once trained as Mujahideen. We sent them to fight, and today they are hanging around our necks," Sanaullah said during a Geo TV programme hosted by journalist Hamid Mir amid unrest in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Quick answers to key questions • 5 QUESTIONS 1 What did Rana Sanaullah say about the Mujahideen during the Geo TV programme? ⌵ Rana Sanaullah admitted that the militants once trained as Mujahideen have become a burden for Pakistan, stating, 'These are the same people we once trained as Mujahideen. We sent them to fight, and today they are hanging around our necks.' 2 Why are there protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoJK)? ⌵ Protests in PoJK have emerged due to demands for electoral reforms and accusations of brutality and targeted killings by security forces, intensifying ahead of regional legislative elections. 3 How did Rana Sanaullah's earlier statements reflect on Pakistan's history with Mujahideen? ⌵ Earlier, Sanaullah described it as a collective mistake to prepare Mujahideen for war, stating that their creation ultimately led to domestic terrorism within Pakistan. 4 What actions have protesters in PoJK taken against security forces? ⌵ Protesters in PoJK have staged continuous demonstrations, alleging that security forces have used lethal force against them, resulting in fatalities during the protests.

5 Should the international community intervene in the unrest occurring in PoJK? ⌵ Some protesters have called for international media and groups to witness the alleged violence and repression in PoJK, indicating a desire for global attention and potential intervention. Sanaullah is a Palistani politician who has been serving as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs since April 2024. Previously, he served as the 39th Interior Minister of Pakistan in the first Shehbaz Sharif government. The Arabic ‘Mujahideen’ word means "those who engage in jihad" or "strugglers/strivers" in the path of God. Protesters continued to stage demonstrations on Thursday at D-Chowk in Rawalakot in PoJK after social media accounts associated with the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) alleged that security forces used lethal force against demonstrators, resulting in fatalities. According to the JKJAAC-linked social media accounts, protesters have been sitting at D-Chowk for several days while calling for a long march and protesting the "brutality" and "targeted killings" by security forces, news agency ANI reported. Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is currently in the middle of a staggered, three-phase assembly election that has turned violently chaotic. The first phase, held on 27 July in the Mirpur division, descended into gunfire, with security forces opening fire on protesters and reports putting the death toll at close to twenty, with dozens more injured. Earlier admission In 2023, days after Pakistan witnessed a deadly attack on its security forces inside a Peshawar mosque, Rana Sanaullah, then the country's Interior Minister, admitted inside the Assembly that it was a collective mistake to prepare the ‘mujahideen’ to go to war with a global force.