CHARSADDA, Feb 17: Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai has denied allegations that his country was involved in the tribal insurgency in Balochistan and vowed that Kabul would not allow its soil to be used for terrorism.
“We will never support an insurgency in Balochistan or allow the use of our soil for terrorist activities,” Mr Karzai told reporters on Friday.
Mr Karzai said that people on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border shared common historical and cultural ties and vowed that no one could stop people-to-people contacts.
He said the erection of barbed wire fences along the border could not stop terrorism. “Barbed wire is a symbol of hatred, not friendship and, hence, it cannot stop terrorism,” Mr Karzai said.
The Afghan president made these remarks during a visit to Wali Bagh in Charsadda district to condole the death of veteran nationalist leader Khan Abdul Wali Khan.
He said that time had proved that Wali Khan was “a foresighted politician”, one who was “held in high esteem” by both the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“He is alive in the hearts of the people of Afghanistan,” Mr Karzai said. He laid a floral wreath at the grave of Wali Khan.
The Afghan leader met Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan and the widow of Wali Khan, Begum Nasim Wali Khan, and expressed condolences.
The Afghan president expressed satisfaction over his visit to Pakistan and said that he had held cordial and fruitful talks with President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
Mr Karzai was accompanied by a 40-member delegation, including Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. The president was warmly received by NWFP Governor Khalilur Rehman, provincial Information Minister Asif Iqbal Daudzai, Asfandyar Wali Khan and Afrasiab Khattak.
APP adds: The Afghan president said that “good neighbourly and brotherly relations” between Pakistan and Afghanistan were “vital for combating terrorism effectively as both had suffered from the menace”.
“We want good neighbourly relations with Pakistan and I have expressed these views during my meetings with President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Islamabad,” he said.
In reply to a question, he said peace and stability in Pakistan has a direct impact on Afghanistan and is in Kabul’s interest.
The people of NWFP shared the pain of Afghans when they left their homes and hearths in the wake of foreign aggression. “Afghans will never forget the gesture of good will expressed by the people of the area with them at the time of turbulence they were faced with,”, he said. “We have no option but to have good brotherly and neighbourly relations as we consider Pakistan as our second home”.
