M. M. ALAM

KABUL: Ex Afghan president Hamid Karzai has noted today that bombings, killings, prisons and the harassment of people failed to contain extremism and bring peace and stability in the country.

Pointing towards Taliban attack at Kabul Airport following US Secretary of State’s arrival, Karzai quipped: “17 years on, the Americans can’t even keep the airports safe on the day the defense secretary and the NATO chief are visiting Kabul”. 

He asked: “The US came to Afghanistan to bring peace and stability and defeat extremism…we have more of it today. Why?”.

Pointing out that IS emerged in his country over the past few years despite the presence of American intelligence and military, Karzai queried: “Who did this under the watch of US intelligence and military and how… we have the right to ask these questions and the US government must answer”.

He said that fellow citizens  told him that US bases in Afghanistan were being used… unmarked, non-military-colored helicopters supply those people in many parts of the country. 

Harboring on the subject he asked: “How come there is more extremism in spite of millions of dollars and loss of lives?”

Karzai further said the questions that were being raised were founded on ‘fundamental evidence of wrongdoing’.

Calling Taliban sons of soil, Karzai held that Afghans must develop a mechanism of own to reach to everyone including the Taliban to seek a settlement.

According to the ex-Afghan president, in order to bring peace in the region, US must act as a cooperative partner in the region with China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran and India.

Commenting on Pak-US relationship he said that Pakistan would realize that it was used by US against Afghanistan during invasion by USSR. He said that the US under Trump’s new S. Asia Policy was again trying to prevent integration and economic development in this region.

Karzai said in order to salvage the region from conspiracy Afghanistan wanted to extend a hand of friendship to Pakistan. 

(Karzai was talking to RT)