Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, who still holds significant influence in his country's power corridor, backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's red flagging of human rights violations in Balochistan.
Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of human rights violation in Balochistan, he has got support from former Afghan president Hamid Karzai. On his current visit to New Delhi, Karzai said, “We highly appreciate the fact that PM Modi has raised the issue of Balochistan. He addressed it by showing concern for the people of Balochistan to be violence free.”
It has been two years since Karzai vacated the office of Afghan president after completing two tenures, but having guided Afghanistan through its most turbulent times, when it faced terror threats from outfits having support bases in Pakistan, his voice holds credibility.
The former Afghan president rejected Pakistan's allegation that India was encouraging dissent in Balochistan emphasizing that Islamabad itself indulged in fomenting troubles on neighbours' soil. “When Pakistan accuses others of interference first they should stop doing the same. They have interfered in Afghanistan. We have been at the receiving end of it,” said Karzai.
‘DON'T ALLOW PAK TO INTERFERE'
On the question of cross-border terrorism in India and support to Kashmiri separatists, Karzai came up with an advice to the Kashmiri leaders. He advised them not to fall prey to Pakistani propaganda and to learn from the experience Afghanistan.
Karzai said, “My brotherly advice to people of Kashmir is that let no other country, no one else interfere in your matters. I wish the best for Kashmiris, hence I tell them this. Learn from what happened in Afghanistan, after the bitter experience we have gone through. Don't allow (Pakistan's) interference. ”
TERRORISM: STATE POLICY OF PAKISTAN
Karzai underscored the role of Pakistan Army in supporting fundamentalists and extremists in the entire region. In response to a question on threat of terrorism in the sub-continent, he said, “Yes, Pakistan Army is involved in excesses, in encouraging extremism in the region. I have been constantly talking about that have been raising the issue of how extremism is used by institutions in Pakistan as an instrument of state policy.”
