President’s Statements in India: Continuation of Contradictory Politics
President Hamid Karzai as other South Asian countries heads of states traveled to India to participate in Swearing-in Ceremony of the new elected India Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President’s visit came just few days after a terrorist attack on Indian Consulate in western Herat province. Obviously the attack had shadow on the President’s visit, but Hamid Karzai had an interview with The Times of India daily which CSRS’ Weekly Analysis Board analyzed as following:
Hamid Karzai’s Interview with The Times of India, Dual Politics
The President in interview said, “The western intelligence have given me the telephone numbers of the attackers and the name of Lashkar-e-Taiba”. He further added, ((I cannot say whether the Pakistani military organization are involved)). Afghan president wants Pakistan to prevent such attacks. The President is agreeing with the involvement of Pakistan in the attack. He welcomed the good will of Pakistan towards Afghanistan and India. Afghan President as in his past interviews said that without Pakistan’s cooperation the peace and stability in the region is impossible.
In the last decade Afghan government has faced many problems due to the lack of a strong and comprehensive foreign policy. Due to the lack of comprehensive foreign policy, that former UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw objects and said, “President Hamid Karzai talks in accordance with the nature of meeting)), and it seems that he understood President Karzai well.
The entire interview is interesting for Indian government and people. The criticism isn’t that Karzai shouldn’t make the Indian people happy, but Afghanistan considering all its long-term advantages and compulsions should have a comprehensive and logical foreign policy. The problem is that the President talks as his behavior is forgetting what he said in India and will change his position. This is what repeated in last 12 years. President Karzai in his interview with Pakistan Geo TV says that Afghanistan will be with Pakistan in case America attacks this country, while it is impossible that Karzai tries to have good relations with both countries Pakistan and India simultaneously. If this is impossible then this is also impossible that he will not have will to one part. If we accept the analysis of the President that the role of Pakistan is significant in peace then the above statements are contrasting national interests. President once again insisted on the significant role of Pakistan in his interview which Pakistan seeks and Afghanistan grants if freely.
If the President really believes that the peace talks would not bear fruits without Pakistan, then Pakistan has a key role in Afghan conflict and the government should never have this much close ties with an anti-Pakistan country like India.
The politics which continued for the last 13 years, distinguishing Pakistan as an important actor and then criticizing it in India, is the contradictory politics that did not make Afghanistan a trusted friend to Pakistan or a strategic ally to India.
Zakir jalaly