Afghan president assures heightened security for Indians in his country.
On his way to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit in Bhutan capital Thimpu, Afghan president Hamid Karzai touched down in New Delhi on Monday.
He held detailed discussions with prime minister Manmohan Singh at the latter’s 7 Race Course Road residence. Singh and Karzai will join the Saarc summit in Thimpu on April 28-29. Karzai will leave for Bhutan on Tuesday.
While Karzai said Indians will be provided better security in his country, Singh said India will keep providing assistance to Afghans in reconstruction efforts.
“The prime minister and I discussed our common struggle against terrorism and extremism. We discussed the upcoming peace council, the jirga. It will comprise people from all walks of life. They will advise my government how to move forward towards reintegrating and reconciling those elements of the Taliban and others who have accepted the Afghan constitution and are not part of al- Qaeda or any terrorist network,” Karzai told the media after the talks.
He invited Singh to Afghanistan and the invitation was accepted. Dates will be worked out later. This was Karzai’s first visit to India after his re-election in 2009.
The Afghan president thanked India for its massive reconstruction and rehabilitation work in his country and promised better security for Indian nationals.
Indians have been selectively targeted by terror groups with the backing of Pakistan’s spy network, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The attacks were largely seen as Islamabad’s tactic to push New Delhi out of its backyard.
“We discussed the issue of terrorism, which threatens our region,” Singh told reporters.
“We were of the view that the attacks on February 26, 2010, in Kabul were the handiwork of those who do not wish to see the emergence of a strong, independent and pluralistic Afghanistan. I conveyed to president Karzai that the perpetrators of such attacks will not succeed in undermining India’s commitment to assist the Afghan people,” the PM said.
ISI has close links with the Taliban. Having nurtured the Taliban, it is now looking ahead to the time when majority of US and Nato forces will leave Afghanistan. The foreign forces are expected to leave that country by the end of next year.
Pakistan wants to make sure that the next government in Kabul is one where the Taliban plays a pivotal role.
Islamabad wants to regain its strategic edge there. Karzai, with his soft corner for India, is looked with suspicion by the Pakistani military that has the final say in the country’s Afghan policy.
Both Karzai and Singh know this. The joint statement issued after their talks in New Delhi touched on this point indirectly.
“The two leaders reiterated their conviction that the national rebuilding process in Afghanistan should be led by the local people in keeping with the principles of national sovereignty, independence and non-interference in internal affairs,” the joint statement said.
Though Karzai has built his bridges with the civilian government of Pakistan, he remains deeply suspicious of the military. But he may be forced to turn to Islamabad for help in reaching out to the Taliban.
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