'Pakistan should not try to represent Afghanistan', says former Afghan President Karzai

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday advised neighbouring country Pakistan to stop interfering in the internal matters of the war-torn country.

Slamming the Pakistan government, he said that they should not encourage terrorists and extremist organisations against Afghanistan, and advised them to establish relations through "civil principles and principles of international relations."

The statement from Karzai came during an interview with Voice of America (VOA) on Saturday. "My message to Pakistan, our brotherly country, is that they should not try to represent Afghanistan," said Karzai during an interview. 

During the interview, the former Afghan President stressed that Islamabad should not try to maintain its relations with Afghanistan through interference. "We will happily maintain that relationship with them," he added. 

While taking questions on the current Taliban regime, Karzai deemed it a threat to both Afghanistan and the region. His statement came in response to the recent cases of mass killings in several parts of the country. Referring to the Taliban, he emphasised that internal legitimacy could only be achieved through the expression of the 'will of the Afghan people, either in the form of elections or holding the Loya Jirga (a traditional grand council)'. 

Karzai always maintained a tough side against Pakistan's interference

It is worth noting that the former President has always maintained a tough position against Pakistan. When he was in power, both Karzai and his successor, Ghani, frequently accused Pakistan of supporting the Afghan Taliban and providing them with training and safe havens on their soil.

However, Pakistan always denied the allegations levelled by the top Afghan leaders. Notably, Karzai has been vocal against the Taliban policies. Recently, he spoke to UK Prime Minister's special envoy Simon Gass and discussed the importance of women's education in Afghanistan.

It is worth noting that the Taliban-led government barred women from educational institutions and working sectors after ousting the democratically-elected government this year. Since then, women across the country have been protesting against the closure of schools and colleges for them. Despite that, the terrorist group has not taken any concrete steps to fulfil their fundamental rights.

During the conversation, the former Afghan President also discussed the clearance of salaries of the government employees and improving the health services in the country. 

With inputs from ANI

Image: AP/ANI