Throwing Pakistan under the bus, former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, slammed Pakistan for its unabated terror activities and urged India to take a leading role in the region.
During the course of the interview, Karzai affirmed that Pakistan has direct links with terrorist organizations, apart from questioning the US over its failure to maintain peace in the country for the past 16 years. He also alleged US and Pakistan of being allies in the war on extremism in the region.
“So if the US knew all along what was going on, the shift in US policy (on Afghanistan) is not to fight extremism but to bring pressure on Pakistan for other reasons. “We have no ill will towards Pakistan, we want them to do well and consider them a neighbor,” he added.
Karzai elucidated that Pakistan has not reciprocated the same feeling despite several attempts to bridge gaps. He then called for India’s help to restore peace in the region.
“We want India to help Afghanistan’s military backup, we want India to train our people…want India to gives us equipment. “That’s where I suspect not is the case,” he added.
He said that Afghanistan had approached India earlier during the UPA regime with a proposal, but India failed to act then due to two reasons: Pakistan-based extremism and “the US was against it”.
Karzai stressed on the fact that the US’ policy towards the country has failed to upheld peace in the region and accusing it further of moving goalposts rather than helping curb the rampant terrorism in the region.
He said, “If the United States is genuine in this objective of ours – the terror strike – the US is welcome to us.”
He called upon India to “not move from one court to another” and follow a steady policy of a constant alliance with Afghanistan, and have its own…by all absolute means its own push to restore peace in Afghanistan.”
Urging India to forge an “independent relationship” with Afghanistan, the former head of the country said peace can only be achieved in the region if India offers complete support to end Pakistan-based extremism in the region.
Post Your Comments