Hamid Karzai endorses PM Narendra Modi's speech on Balochistan

NEW DELHI: In a first, Hamid Karzai, former Afghan president has said that Pakistan should stop supporting Islamic State or Daesh in Afghanistan.

In an exclusive interview with TOI, Karzai said, "Islamic State is entirely foreign and imported into Afghanistan, for purposes that will affect the whole region — India, China Russia, Iran. Those in Pakistan who use ISIS as a tool, and we know they do, I have brotherly advice: stop. They (Pakistan) use the ISIS in Nangarhar province, locals have given us enough evidence about Pakistani militias. The goes beyond Afghanistan, and beyond the region. Nobody should be fooled."

Recently, Gen Nicholson, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, talking to journalists here, said the US has been attacking IS groups in Afghanistan.

In recent sweeps in Nangarhar, they had come across Islamic State fighters who were from Pakistan's Orakzai agency. The US recently killed the Islamic State leader in Afghanistan called Hafiz Saed Khan in a drone strike. Gen Nicholson said the US and Afghan forces had conducted a major operation against IS which killed many of their top leaders and fighters.

Karzai, who openly applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on Balochistan and POK, said, "It's a reality. You can't address reality without first accepting reality." Karzai has advocated Indian support for Balochistan for many years.

"The troubles we have in this region have been left to us by the British. India-Pakistan, Pakistan-Afghanistan, Durand Line, everything is a legacy of the British."
But Afghanistan's real problems, he said, stem from instability that is a result of Taliban activities, and the "unabated" support to them from Pakistan. "Pakistan support is unabated. That's where we run into trouble with US policy. For years we have been telling them about sanctuaries beyond our borders, they pay no attention. And look at what's happening to Pakistan itself."

"Pakistan uses extremism as an instrument of policy and for a long time. The US would earlier back them or ignore. Consequences for Pakistan have been horrific, just look at the recent attacks in Quetta, Peshawar, Lahore. If their objectives are strategic depth in Afghanistan, or controlling Afghanistan, none of these objectives will be realized."

Is China seeking strategic depth in Pakistan now, with their CPEC? "To some extent, yes. China wants peace in the region, to help their economic progress. They have told me they want to cooperate fully with India on Afghanistan."

Saying he fully understood why India could not support the China-Pakistan corridor, he said "CPEC is economic in orientation and intention but has distinct political connotations. We have discussed this with China. At this point, China's intention is to have peace in Afghanistan and complete their Belt & Road project, and to stabilize Pakistan. That means convincing Pakistan to abandon terror as policy. China has extremism troubles in Xinjiang, we all know where it comes from."

Regarding the troubles in Afghanistan's own government, where CEO Abdullah Abdullah has openly come out against President Ashraf Ghani, Karzai said he hoped they would be able to work together. "I hope they will reconcile. The country needs a functioning government, and I hope they can fulfil their promise on convening a jirga."