In a letter written to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said while he shared his concerns about drone attacks and rising extremism, the “responsibility to effectively combat terrorism falls on us.”
“I understand your (Imran) grave concerns about drone attacks. Likewise, I share your concern about the rise of extremism in our region, which we are witnessing. I have taken up these issues with Western leaders. However, I believe that the primary responsibility to effectively combat extremism and terrorism falls on us,” stated the letter, a copy of which was available with The Express Tribune.
“I hope that as the leader of Tehreek-e-Insaf, you (Imran) will give a positive response to this invitation for coordinated and collaborative action between our two countries against the evils of extremism and terrorism that is threatening our present and future well-being,” Karzai said.
The letter, sent on October 11, comes on the heels of PTI chief Imran Khan’s recent controversial statements terming the ongoing war in Afghanistan ‘jihad’.
After paying a visit to inquire about the health of targeted peace activist Malala Yousafzai in Peshawar on October 10, Imran termed the ongoing war in Afghanistan a ‘jihad’. He, however, parried a question on whether the war in Pakistan’s tribal belt could be labeled as terrorism.
Farhad Azimi, the deputy secretary of the Afghan parliament, termed Imran’s statements a ‘clear interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.’
“Imran should make a distinction between ‘jihad’ and war against militancy in Afghanistan,” said an Afghan diplomat in Islamabad, while choosing to remain anonymous. Being a politician, Imran should take a stand against militants by supporting Afghans, who are facing this menace for decades, he added.
The PTI chairman, however, has yet to respond to Karzai’s letter.
“Imran Khan, who is currently visiting Turkey on the Turkish prime minister’s invitation, will respond to the letter on his return,” PTI’s Central Information Secretary Shafqat Mehmood said on Saturday.
Furthermore, Karzai in his letter expressed concern over the terrorist attack on Malala, saying that the dastardly attack on her and other young people in Afghanistan and Pakistan was an attempt to ‘doom our future generations to darkness and ignorance’.
“We have all been outraged by the inhuman and heinous attempt on the life of Malala and her fellow students. Whilst we pray for their health and speedy recovery, we must ask why we have been unable to counter the terrorism that is attacking our religion, our people and the promise of a better future for our children,” stated the letter.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2012.
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Next letter to I.K:
How much is the price of land in bani gala?. Am thinking of buying before the pull out.
@Khan of Jandul:
Really? How? Do we have the burden of heavy war reparations, imposed after WWI, or inflation in thousands of percent per annum, or perceived hatred for Jews for controlling the finances? You can't just drop a few catchy names from history to impress us with your intellectual might--we have all read history and travelled around and some of us have seen the D-day trenches in Normandy as well. Now, please explain the linkages between present day Pakistan and pre WWII Germany? Good luck!
@Logic Europe: American after fighting a war for 10 years now have only a small of Afghanistan in there control & now they are having talks with Taliban & telling pakistan to do an operation in north waziristan.
Sultan! Present day Pakistan exactly resembles Nazi Germany in pre-World War 2 years
@alicia:
Simply go to the PTI website. You'll find all your answers www.insaf.pk
Hahahaha karzai asks for Imran's help before even attempting the pmlosers or that party in power.
Has Imran asked any Afghan how we feel about Taleban. They were against girls education, culture etc before 2001. Read history Mr Khan, we lived under Talebans ignorance and barbarionism and no sane Afghan will suppoert them except for the few M.M.A types. Afghans don't want any bad for Pakistan and we must cooperate to take advantage of the vast opportunities the region offers for the sake of our future. The Pashaesque narrative will lead to more misery and blood in the region so stop apologising for the Taleban. Peace
Taleban were destroying girls' schools, sufi shrines, Buddhas of Bamiyan before 2001 am not sure if Imran Khan knows history. Taleban has already caused a lot of misery and destruction in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Stop apologising for them and take action or Frankenstein is coming your way soon. It's funny when some one like Imran Khan calls it Jihad in Afghanistan. He is better off working for ESPN sports channel or running a bar in England.
There should be an option of "dislikes" so that we can express against IK haters. We have high hopes with you Imran.
@Khan of Jandul: Exactly. It is actually the keyboard warrior writing gibberish in this forum who can solve this problem. We live in a nation of 180 million leaders, and no followers. Everyone with a keyboard is a strategist. Imran, who has dealt extensively with the top leadership of the world, has travelled the four corners of the globe, has built and run wonderful institutions from scratch with sheer wit is just a Taleban sympathiser! This is pure intellectual trash and lazy, reflexive hate mongering. Disgusting and repulsive!!! Our irrational, emotionally charged nation has no idea what cunning savages we are dealing with and how they can be tamed. At this rate, we can't even hope to win a chess game, let alone a war with these evil geniuses, thanks mostly to compulsive, macho pseudo intellectuals mouthing away their own prejudices disguised as scholarly comments. These clever monsters have us all figured--they press the right button at the time of their choosing to gain their objectives and to laught at the impotent mirth coming out of our mouths. God, please show us the light! Now I am going to go and join the army of imbecile political hypocrites to pray for Mallala, the biggest theatrical production to gain political brownie points in town! If a nation decides to commit suicide, no one can stop it!
few people r trying to hijack the malala issue for political purpose
All the people counting Karzai's days after the US pullout are going to be mistaken. He will have support from all other countries around him because all countries in the world despise the Taliban, including UAE and Saudi Arabia. In the 90's when the USSR withdrew from Afghanistan, the then ruler Najibullah remained in power for 2 years even though the whole Afghan resistance fought him. The non-Pushtun Afghans will never support the Taliban against Karzai.
Pakistan is going to get isolated on its support of the Taliban. Imran Khan, JI, JUI-F and PML-N are the only parties who support the Taliban. ANP, MQM and the PPP strongly oppose them.
@salman: Having heard all siginificant uttereances from Imran Khan over the last 20 years, there seems to be no worthier cause in today's Pakistan than to oppopse Imran Khan and his ideology.
Mr.Karzai is a US satrap, and not a legitimate leader of Afghanistan and he should stop meddling in Pakistan's affairs.
The choice to talk or not talk to afghan taliban is a choice only afghans should make. There is no hypocrisy in that. The real hypocrisy is when one wishes death, destruction and backwardness for its neighbour while allows for all modernity and liberal things in his own country. Afghans r sick and tired of this two facedness. Have you ever wonderrd how many malalas your so called good taliban have killed or thrown acid on their faces? I think you can imaginr that yet u still support good taliban and help them destroy our country.
What do you expect from pri whose leader wants to keep hadood ordinance ?
if talibans in afghanistan are against karzai or USA then let teh talibans come and stand in election and let them decide. y taking arms if that is jehad then the taliban in pakistan is also jehad and let them bring shariya law
For Karzai, the writing on the wall is clear. The US / NATO will withdraw the forces within an year. & Taliban, will take control of Kabul. This is a very big "Sad Story" for US, India & Israel. They also know that IK will come to power because, majority of Paki
s are in favor of PTI. The masses like PTI Policies as hes in favour of Muslims/Anti Drones/Anti Corruption & his policies are never antogonize the Taliban.But, as some senior commentrators of PTI have commented, that attack on Malala may have been done by Anti PTI forces so that they force the army to attack taliban in North waziristan. Only PTI stands in between this.
A Insafian
But the irony is that Karzai recently announced that he is ready to Have talks with Taliban.???. So Mr Karzai you are as Hypocritical as any Other Afghan ready to Bash Pakistan at any instant while you are doing Opposite as far as Practice is concerned and your yourself stated that you are ready for talks so what are you talking about,.??
Imran khan is now associated with terrorism , he is no longer now able to challenge politicians. he has shot himself in the foot.he lacks common sense and political skills ,You can't lead a country by supporting people who are beyond logic and just showering abuse on ZARDARI and Nawaz shareef You will remain , just a cricket team ex captain Pakistan has to declare war on Taliban ,It may win ,if you don't you are finished
so now even karzai unterstand that we cannot end militancy through guns and drones.and our fake liberals do not understand this
@Hassan What is Imran's strategy to deal with terrorism?
A totally misinterpreted statement about IK
In a diplomatic way Karzai has told imran to refrain from suporting terrorism. That ise the rperceotion he has ceated There is no future for supporters of trrrorism and wild tribals
Why is E.T so obsessed with Imran Khan ?
Ever since the embarassment PTI received due to Malala tragedy (and Imran tacitly siding with Taliban; his flawed drones logic) and his Jihad statement, PTI supportes are on their toes, ready to defend their confused leader at every front/forum and redeem some respect.
These are the stupid tactics of US puppets in Afghanistan/Pakistan. Imran is emerging out as a true leader in this crisis time. These anti-pak rulers are fearing Imran. If you pakis don't support him this time ,you will miss another opportunity to get rid of these scoundrels.
Imran Khan has no policy for countering extremism. He is just an opportunist who want to grab power at any cost. Mr. Karzai is not puppet, he has the support of the majority of Afghans and even Pashtuns of the Pakistan side of Durand Line.
Mr Karzai. The attackers are sitting in your Kunar province. Why dont u first go and arrest them instrad of sharing this grief concern.
I guess he didnt watch the press conference and started posting letters. Watch it carefully and try to understand what IK says. If you still do not understand than contact PTI spokesperson and get a translation in your language.
I hear Karzai has a calendar in his bedroom marking the days remaining till the US pull out..
Imran Khan already made this clear "Pakistani land will not be used for terror purposes against any country including Afghanistan and also US must completely withdraw from Afghanistan by 2014"
Karzai is not asking for Imran Khan's help. He's asking him to be a mature adult and not label terrorism and death perpetuated against the people of Afghanistan as "Jihad." He is respectfully disagreeing as a Muslim and asking Imran Khan to be more responsible.
Karzai should expect a long winded, complex and confusing response back from IK on why he believes that taliban are our brothers, war in afghanistan is jihad, why we should negotiate with good taliban and why america is responsible for everything that goes wrong in Pak and Afghanistan.
Your are right Mr. Karzai. Both countries facing challenges of terrorism and extremist. Instead pointing out fingures upon each other we should cooperate, through cooperation these meances can be eradicated from our soils. And imran will never denounce from his statement, he thinks every word is right which comes out of his mouth.
So now what Imran haters? Even Karzai is asking for his help...or are you still going to be blowing the Imran=Taliban trumpet.
Taliban Khan is a correct label, based on this. He must learn a thing or two from the Turk, coming hard on extremist groups and thinking.
So stop sending patsies then.
I dont know how much Islamic knowledge does imran khan have that he gave fatwa of JIHAD in Afghanistan and termed it terrorism in Pakistan while there is no difference in goverments of both countries because both of them are close ally of US. Further, both Taliban( Afghan and PTT) share same idiology and PTT accepts mulla omar as its supreme leader. Imran should know that we afghans also have suffered alot and like malala yousufzai we have thousands of malalas' lost their life in Afghanistan. As an ordinary Afghan I would suggest that please stop doing dirty game with us and work for true peace in the region.
Not in Parliament, not even a minister, yet world is fully aware of his struggle against Terrorism. Yes, you can disagree with his stance on WoT but to label him as "Taliban Khan" is the most sickest thing you can ever do. Imran - the ONLY person who's giving solutions and that's why he is being criticized from every nook and corner.
The truth is that Karzai is a puppet of USA as our leaders are...
Oh GOD..... Y everybody has pointed his guns towards IMRAN..... His Jihad statement was totally twisted and interpreted wrongly....Watch the Press Conference if u dont believe me...He meant that the population there in afghanistan perceived this foreign occupation as Jihad.... As as for KARZAI, he is and will remain a puppet of the US, come what may