Ex-CIA officer claims Pervez Musharraf ‘handed over Pakistan’s nuclear control to US’

Updated on: Oct 25, 2025 10:27 am IST

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Former CIA officer John Kiriakou claims the US 'purchased' ex-Pakistani president Musharraf, providing millions in aid.

Former CIA officer John Kiriakou has claimed that the United States “purchased” former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf by pumping millions of dollars into the country and that Musharraf even handed over control of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal to Washington.

Former CIA officer John Kiriakou claimed the US had very good relations with Pervez Musharraf government.

In an interview with ANI, John Kiriakou, who served 15 years in the CIA as an analyst and later in counterterrorism, said Pakistan was “deep buried under corruption”, where leaders like former prime minister Benazir Bhutto lived lavishly abroad while ordinary citizens suffered.

‘We essentially just purchased Musharraf’

Kiriakou said the US had very good relations with Musharraf’s government. “Our relations with the Pakistani government were very, very good. It was General Pervez Musharraf at the time. And look, let's be honest here. The United States loves working with dictators. Because then you don't have to worry about public opinion and you don't have to worry about the media anymore. And so we essentially just purchased Musharraf,” he said.

He added that Washington gave “millions and millions and millions of dollars” in aid, both military and economic, and met Musharraf regularly. “We gave millions and millions and millions of dollars in aid, whether it was military aid or economic development aid. And we would meet with Musharraf regularly, several times a week. And essentially he would let us do whatever we wanted to do. Yes. But Musharraf also had his own people that he needed to deal with,” Kiriakou said.

‘Musharraf gave Pentagon control of nukes’

Kiriakou claimed that Musharraf had allowed the United States to take control of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. “When I was stationed in Pakistan in 2002, I was told unofficially that the Pentagon controlled the Pakistani nuclear arsenal, that Musharraf had turned control over to the United States because he was afraid of exactly what you just described (nuclear weapons falling into terrorist hands),” Kiriakou told ANI.

‘Pretending to fight terror while targeting India’

According to Kiriakou, Musharraf played a double game, siding with the US on counterterrorism while allowing terror activities against India. “He had to keep the military happy. And the military didn't care about al Qaeda. They cared about India. And so in order to keep the military happy and keep some of the extremists happy, he had to allow them to continue this dual life of pretending to cooperate with the Americans on counterterrorism while committing terror against India,” he said.

“India-Pakistan were on the brink of war in 2002. December 2001 was when Parliament attack also happened. During that time,” Kiriakou added.

‘Benazir Bhutto lived like royalty’

Kiriakou also recalled a “Marie Antoinette moment” with Bhutto during her exile in Dubai, saying she lived in a “$5 million palace on the Gulf” while Pakistanis struggled to survive.

“When Benazir Bhutto was in exile in Dubai, I went to see her with another senior officer. I went as the note taker. And she lived in this $5 million palace on the Gulf. And we were sitting in the front room, the salon of the house, and we heard a car pull up. And she said, her exact words, so help me God, if he came home with another Bentley, I'm going to kill him!” he recalled.

When asked if she was referring to Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto’s husband, Kiriakou said, “Yeah. Her husband.” He added, “She lives in a $5 million house and he has a collection of Bentleys. Aren't they ashamed of themselves? Like, how can they go back to Pakistan and look the Pakistani people in the face when their people don't even have shoes and enough food to eat? Like, I understand corruption is a problem there, but that level of corruption? Come on!”

(With inputs from ANI)

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