Hamid Karzai
Afghan President Hamid Karzai. — Photo AFP

KABUL: Afghanistan is considering action against the International Crisis Group (ICG), with officials on Monday accusing the respected think tank of bias in its reporting on the troubled country.

An analysis by the Brussels-based ICG last month said the Kabul government could collapse after the withdrawal of Nato troops in 2014, particularly if presidential elections that year are fraudulent.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai's senior spokesman Aimal Faizi responded on Monday saying “the ICG reports and activities have been politically motivated".

“The government is now in the process of assessing the ICG's operations in the country,” he added.

“It is detrimental to Afghanistan's national interests and no country will allow such activities by a foreign organisation,” he said without elaborating.

President Karzai's re-election in 2009 was marred by allegations of widespread voting irregularities, while parliamentary polls a year later were also mired in controversy over fraud and vote rigging.

The ICG analysis characterised Karzai as apparently being motivated by his desire to cling to power rather than to work for his country's interests.

Foreign ministry spokesman Janan Mosazai also said Kabul was investigating the group.

“The Afghan government is currently doing an assessment of the ICG's work in Afghanistan, and will take an appropriate decision about its future work based on this assessment,” he said.

The author of the report, the ICG's senior Afghanistan analyst, Candace Rondeaux, could not immediately be contacted for comment.

Opinion

Editorial

Budget presser
Updated 14 Jun, 2026

Budget presser

If the FBR falters, the government will find itself in hot water sooner rather than later.
Muharram precautions
14 Jun, 2026

Muharram precautions

WITH Muharram due to start next week, the authorities have already begun annual exercises to ensure that the ...
Blood bequests
14 Jun, 2026

Blood bequests

WORLD Blood Donor Day offers a moment of “gratitude, advocacy and renewed commitment” for thalassaemia patients...
Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...