KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday he hoped the shooting of Malala Yousufzai by the Taliban would convince Pakistan that "using extremism" as a tool against others was not in its interest.
Karzai regularly accuses Pakistan of supporting Taliban insurgents trying to topple his government - a charge Islamabad denies.
The shooting of 14-year-old Malala, who campaigned for the right of girls to an education, showed that Islamabad's strategy was hurting Pakistan too, he said.
"I hope this very bitter truth... has convinced our brothers and sisters, the officials in Pakistan... that using extremism as a tool against others is not in the interest of Pakistan," Karzai said.
Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Karzai called on Pakistan to join him in an "honest" fight against extremism, which he said was threatening both nations equally.
The Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan "has been the consequence of safe havens on Pakistani soil", said Karzai, describing extremism as a snake which could turn and bite anyone who tried to use it against others.
Pakistan, along with Saudi Arabia and the United States, sponsored the 1980s war in Afghanistan against Soviet troops which ultimately gave rise to al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Islamabad was a close ally of the 1996-2001 Taliban regime, but formally sided with the United States after the 9/11 attacks that precipitated the US-led invasion which brought into power Karzai's Western-backed administration.
Malala, who remains in a hospital in the UK following the shooting, came to prominence with a blog for the BBC highlighting atrocities under the Pakistan Taliban, who overran the Swat valley from 2007 until an army offensive in 2009.
Nato has more than 100,000 troops in Afghanistan backing Karzai's government against the Taliban, but they will withdraw by the end of 2014 and hand responsibility over to local forces.
COMMENTS (21)
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My Pakistani Brothers & Sisters, can you please clarify to me whether it is for real that Pakistanis dont think its military and/or civil establishment was responsible in supporting taliban in Afghanistan? Do they really think Taliban is backed by Indian Intelligence agencies? Or if they are just lying to themselves and others?
@KHURRUM MALIK, The water to those lands you are referring to flows from the lands you so much detest!!! Anyway due to mindset like yours, your country is being ruined. most of talib supporters will be trumpetting otherwise when this menace reach their own backyard. we shall wait and see this with our own eyes. i think Mr Karzai is making a fair point but Dr Najibullah was also making a similar point. however even then pakistan backstabbed afghanistan after they had signed an agreement in Geneva in which pakistan had promissed not to meddle in Afghan affair. but guys that was the last century and i think we should expect a bit more sanity these days. what do you think?
This US stooge and corrupt president of Afghanistan has lost his mind and shame too. His advice to Pakistan confirms that Afghanistan and other hostile intelligence agencies are involved in the conspiracy of attack on Malala which is now being used to bring pressure on Pakistan for conducting operations in North Waziristan. Swat Taliban now living in Afghanistan have already claimed responsibility for this attack and Mr. Karzai, instead of handing over these Taliban to Pakistan has chosen to threaten our country. Right from 14th August 1947 Afghanistan has been providing sanctuaries to Anti Pakistan elements for creating trouble in Pakistan. Even today the leaders of BLA, Sind liberation Army and Swat Taliban have safe heavens in Afghanistan under the supervision of Afghan intelligence Agency, RAW and CIA.
@Sultan Ahmed who writes "Under a planned,a name was gifted to freedom struggle,such as insurgency, terrorism,extremisim too."
YES SIR!!!!!
Killing of Malala was also freedom struggle. Wouldn't you agree?
How dare you Mr. Karzai?
How dare you show the truth to Pakistanis? How dare you affront the Ummah? How dare you call pious muslims as extremists? How dare you use the same language as Kaffir Indians and Americans?
Khuram Malik, I guess it's very rude of you the way you have replied to Mr Afridi. What's needed in the region is saner minds to prevail and stop this mantra of good and bad Taleban..They are all the same. Read history before making prejudiced judgements i.e read who brought Islam to your region and who did the most fighting during all the wars since partition.
The pot calling the kettle black:D
This guy is a show tank. He wakes up when he feels alone.
talibanisation came to pakistan from Afghanistan. Before afghan migrants, pakistan was very peaceful
@Ibrahim:
FM Mullah, as you call him was driven to Afghanistan after 2009. Afghan Taliban have had shelter in Pakistan since much before. Osama, for example, was living in the compound for years. Taliban's #2 was found hiding in Karachi. Haqqanis have been found holed up in North Waziristan since the beginning of the war.
So, Karzai is right when he accuses Pakistan of harbouring and using Terror.
karzai is very right, pakistanis are always told and u wud listen hameed gul, imran khan, jamate islami, fazal rehman and establishment using words called good talibans, basically karzai is reffering that pak should stop using their proxies and he is right if pak talibans r called terrorist then pak shold also remove safe heaven which are being used for their proxies
Maybe if Mr. Karzai had not sheltered FM Mullah in Afghanistan, the Malala incident would not have happened
damn even karzai is accusing us now :) ...