“I can never talk in favourable terms about planes that are shooting people or bombing people,” said Mr Karzai when The Washington Post asked him if he believed US drone strikes in Pakistan were effective. – Photo by Reuters (File)

WASHINGTON: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has refused to endorse US drone strikes inside Pakistan, saying that he could not talk in favourable terms about bombing people.

In an interview to a US media outlet, Mr Karzai also showed an unusual understanding of Pakistan’s problems in dealing with the militants.

A new report by the ProPublica investigative news organisation on Monday claimed that Washington was wrestling with the dilemma over how much to pressure Pakistan to act against Lashkar-e-Taiba.

A bipartisan report, sent to the Obama administration and Congress earlier this week, even recommended using drones to destroy LeT hideouts in Fata.

“My nature is not one that appreciates military. I’m not a pro-gun person, I don’t like guns or aeroplanes, so I can never talk in favourable terms about planes that are shooting people or bombing people,” said Mr Karzai when The Washington Post asked him if he believed US drone strikes in Pakistan were effective.

“For the initial years, I was highly critical of Pakistan and their lack of action on the sanctuaries. Now I see Pakistan suffering more than we are in lots of ways.”