Afghan President Hamid Karzai. PHOTO: FILE
The Foreign Office spokesperson, while commenting on Karzai’s statement, said, "the Government of Pakistan and all its institutions have unanimity of views on issues of national security and foreign policy.”
In this context, promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan is an important pillar of Pakistan's foreign policy which is supported by all state institutions, the spokesperson added.
He stated, however, that the success of this policy requires reciprocal action and goodwill on the part of the Afghan government as well. "It is in our common interest to jointly address the challenges of terrorism and extremism being faced by our region and the newly elected leadership of Pakistan has reiterated its resolve to fully support an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.”
The spokesperson further said Pakistan will continue to support reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan for achieving durable peace, stability and development in the region.
COMMENTS (34)
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Karzai words are as credible as he himself
@Sandip: It’s better to be double minded than double gaming neighbours and benefactors alike, isn’t it?
Yes right ........... But we have no other choice other than living with a double gaming neighbor(India) !!
Karzai is only stating the obvious? Are you saying Pakistan doesn't have competing institutions with competing centers of power independent in some respects from one another? Why was there a meeting between General Kayani and the new Prime Minister then and why was it so news worthy?
Why is this perceived as an attack? You would think if its something your ashamed of it should be something you would want addressed and reformed. I think Karzai was actually doing Pakistan a favor with his very true statement. You should thank him.
@hope: Who instigated Iraq to start a war against Kuwait? Who backstabbed Iraq in 1991 and 2003 and ultimately hanged Saddam? Who started to bomb Iraq in 2003? Who started to bomb Afghanistan in end of 1979? Pakistan has always supported Afghanistan in all its privations and provided succor. Afghanistan is the only country in the United Nations that objected to our membership in 1948. Salams
@Syed A. Mateen: Sir, recently there are reports of President Karzai suffering from a bipolar disorder. That is why he is 'blowing hot and blowing cold.' (Episodes of mania and depression). The Afghans have always been inclined to give affiliation to India ever since Hari Nalwa Singh defeated and occupied The North Western borders of undivided India in early 19th century. Salams
@Sandip: Quote: "Better to be double minded than double gaming neighbors." Will you agree that this unavoidably leads to "one step forward and one step backwards?" Nothing definite in terms of policy formulation and implementation ever materializes. The guarantors to the Geneva Accord 1988 (USA, USSR, UN and others), guarantee the inviolability of the Durand Line and is the defining delineation between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The confusion ends there. Does President Karzai not know this or is he just playing 'ping pong' for political mileage? Salams
@s.khan: "Karzai has a mercurial personality. One day he is calling Pakistanis brothers and few days later he is accusing them of trouble making. FO should remind him that Pakistan hosted him and millions of other Afghans for years. Thanks for being a rude guest.". If you are hosted by someone, that doesn't give the host a free ride into your home anyway they want, does it? It's the same with the Afghans. Just because you happened to host 3 million or so refugees for a few years, it doesn't make Pakistan the master of Afghanistan. Pakistan has to recognize that the Afghans are free people and will choose their friends and enemies as per their interest, not as per Pakistan's bidding. Another thing that Pakistan should keep in mind, nay fear, is if Afghans decide to pay Pakistan back in its own coins and start providing the same hospitality to Pakistani talibans, that Pakistan provides to the likes of Haqqani, Hekmatyar etc.. That would be the nightmare scenario for Pakistan.
The saying, 'biting the hands that fed you' fits well on him. Pakistan gave him asylum when Taliban took over Afghanistan. He lived in Quetta for over half a decade. Used to talk to him on eve walks everyday. He was thankful (or he pretended to be) to Pakistan government and Pakistani people for giving him shelter.
Shame Karzai.
If Pakistan stops meddling in other people's affairs, others will do the same. Otherwise, it could have serious repercussions for the future. Peace is the least we can give to the long-suffering people of the region. Let's begin by giving up the cloak-n-dagger stuff.
It is heartening to read comments on what Karzai recently said. Although there are some still supporting Pak leadership blindly there are increasing number of sane voices that reject interference in Afghanistan. Pak establishment by it's nature has promoted a security state rather than a welfare state to justify their existence. The initiated wars and told the nation, India did it. Then they went global in 1980s and earned more dollars for themselves. After 9/11 a double game was played (which still continues) to extract dollars from Americans while fomenting trouble in Afghanistan through Taliban. This also gave strategic depth to have a backyard producing war machine. They were thoroughly exposed and roughed up by Americans. The policy based on hate India has brought Pakistan to such a state that can be dreaded by any nation. For a change spit out hate and things will change. Also, stop dictating terms to your countrymen from provinces other than Punjab. Arrogance never pays.
If you ask the Afghans (which i happen to meet a lot in delhi these days studying in colleges here)
They say that Pakistan has captured lot of areas of afghanistan and the border between pakistan and afghanistan has to be reconsidered which is why pakistan does not want a peaceful afghanistan for one second reason is the huge black market economy of pakistan is running because of the war stricken afghanistan
Thanks to our foreign policy, we got Taliban everywhere. They are not sparing Pashtuns in funerals, mosques & soon will start blowing up our graves. If this is what our so called foreign office wants then they got it right. As our ruling elites from Lahore are not effected, so they are taking it easy & are focused on economic diplomacy. The whole world is saying what Karzai is saying, how can our Foreign Office deny it.
@Kadar Khan FRCS: You could do the same. Just cross over the border and join the Indian doctors n Qandhar hospital repair those who are hurt in the dirty war.
Rex Minor
@Kadar Khan FRCS:
Wouldn't you worry about hostility from both East and West? Pakistan is like a sandwich between the two countries which don't have its interest at heart. Everyone knows Afghan will lean towards India if compensated properly. Pakistan doesn't have the money to bribe them. Remember Churchill's saying about Afghans: "why fight them when you can buy them". Karzai has a mercurial personality. One day he is calling Pakistanis brothers and few days later he is accusing them of trouble making. FO should remind him that Pakistan hosted him and millions of other Afghans for years. Thanks for being a rude guest.
Karsai isn't saying anything new. This subject has been covered extensively by the BBC including a TV documentary called Secret Pakistan - easy Google and readily available on youtube. . http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16821218
@Waziristani: Rather, the US and its allies plus the now defunct Northern Alliance-led Kabul government has been intent on destabilizing Pakistan. That is why the TTP is given protection in Afghanistan when they are chased out of Pakistan by the Pak Army.
TTP is not Taliban and not allied to the Afghan Taliban; they are a proxy group being used to destabilize Pakistan but unfortunately for them, they are on the decline.
@Syed A. Mateen: "Mr. Hamid Karzia should be clear in his mind that Pakistan always wanted to extend its helping hand, but at times Afghan President seems to be double minded and under influence of many forces." It's better to be double minded than double gaming neighbours and benefactors alike, isn't it?
Karzai lived in exile in Pakistan for over 20 years. Thankless man.
Karzai has failed in Afghanistan so obviously rather than taking the blame wants to put it on Pakistan. That has been his strategy and that's one reason he has failed (other than the fact he runs a highly corrupt gov't). Those blaming Pakistan and its establishment forget that Pakistan policy is not formed on foolishness. India is heavily present in Afghanistan and feeding money and arms to terrorists, not just in KPK but also in Balochistan. Secondly, you have to take a longer look and see what will happen when the NATO forces leave, and who potentially will be in power (psst ... it probably won't be Karzai and co. whether anyone likes it or not).
@truth: Pakistan interference is the reason, Russians came into Afghanistan. Do some research on the Internet.
@hope: Pakistan (leaders and agencies) is equally responsible for the current condition of Afghanistan.
Actually Pakistan has been interfering in Afghanistan even before Russia came into Afghanistan.
@truth, I respect your opinion, but as per history: to get rid of Russia, Pakistan's role was outstanding (didn't it?).
and I love Pakistan as much as you do, What I want is, fix the problems or mistake we did in past and live/provide a better life to our fellow citizens.
I appreciate your response, atleast you are concern, and our goal is same (prosperous Pakistan).
Cheers!
Karzai is not wrong. Pak establishment have a lot to answer for.
Afghans blame everything on others. Recently I met one Afghan who told me that it were Punjabis who made Afghans Conservative even tough he did not met any Punjabi before. So Karzai is doing the same Unless they will stop blaming others for their own shortcomings they cannot progress at all.
Agree with what you have said and these institutions also don't want to see peace in KPK and Tribal Area. Karazi always speaks from his heart and only people of Punjab are living in fool paradise and have closed their eyes to a burning reality like they were doing it during 1971 crisis in former East Pakistan.
Being a Pakistan myself I really cannot deny what Mr. Karazi is saying unfortunately.
Our government and military supported a civil war in the 1980s (USA/Mujahedin vs Soviet Union), then again in the 1990s after the soviets withdrew (supporting Taliban in the war between different Mujahedin factions) and now again in 2000s.
Pakistan's involvement in Afghanistan has only brought troubles to the country. We should have never interfered in Afghanistan back in the first place in 1979. Had we not involved ourselves with the useless wars in Afghanistan we would have never encouraged extremism in our own country which is literally tearing Pakistan apart now. Extremely poor foreign policy by the Government of Pakistan .
Let's focus on saving our own citizens who are dying everyday in suicide attacks rather than pointing fingers at Afghanistan, India or Iran.
Well, he is not entirely wrong............. baat to sach hay magar baat hay ruswai ki
Unless Pakistan and Afghanistan are not on the same page, peace is far from imagination.
Mr. Hamid Karzia should be clear in his mind that Pakistan always wanted to extend its helping hand, but at times Afghan President seems to be double minded and under influence of many forces.
@hope: Pakistan is not responsible for Afghan mess, russians are. However it is clear who is responsible for Pakistans mess. Afghans
President Hamid Karzai is spot on.
We all and the whole world knows what our intelligence agencies are up to in Afghanistan mainly because of our delusional and obscessional paranoia against India which has resulted in a kinda 'double game' which is alienating us against not only the whole world but our own people. The TTP is an offshoot of that. If you dont know, have a good look at the BBC documentary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSinK-dVrig
How can we so naive to assume that we can run Afghanistan through our proxies such as the Haqqanis and Hikmatyars?, no body can as the history has proven for centuries. Soon the Hikmatyars and Haqqanis will be hunted by the drones anyway so why can't we just start building Afghanistan like India does by building up roads, hospitals and helping their institutions and make some real change?
Many thanks Dr Kadar Khan FRCS
I bet if I insult Afghans on this thread my comment will be approved by ET moderators.
Is there any doubt that Pakistan is busy to destabilize Afghanistan? @ SM. Our future seems to me bleak.
Wonder why Pakistan/ FO gets so sensitive when Karzai makes a statement, the denials are super prompt. Is it impinging on some truth?
karzai is right...and for the same reason imran khan said we should not interfere in afghanistan. because presently we do. this is not our jihad. we should not be interfering in afghanistan at all.
Pakistan (leaders and agencies) is equally responsible for the current condition of Afghanistan.
and please stop blaming west, if somebody will ask you to burn your own house would you do that? and if you do then who do you blame it for. (Zara Sochiyee)
Those who don't agree, Please read history before you comment.
I am a proud Pakistani
Karzai should not forget that he will be forced to run to Pakistan on a motorbike wearing a burqa very soon. He better be nice to the Pakistanis.