India should rethink its support to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Afghanistan policy, said former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, during a visit to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“India has the right to ask the U.S. questions on [continuing support to Pakistan], and it must think and rethink its policy in view of changes and developments in Afghanistan,” Mr. Karzai told
Calling the U.S. and Pakistan “bedfellows,” Mr. Karzai said Mr. Trump, who announced his new Afghan policy for South Asia in August this year, had failed to back his tough words on Pakistan with action. The policy, which entailed a larger role in development work for India as well as more pressure on Pakistan to act against terrorist safe havens within its borders, was welcomed by New Delhi at the time.
“We have heard these words over the past 16 years, repeatedly from U.S. on terror sanctuaries within Pakistan. But we also see the U.S. talking of Pakistan as an ally, and being protective of Pakistan…,” Mr. Karzai said.
“Now too, they pointed fingers at Pakistan and then within months they gave them another 700 million dollars in appreciation of their fight against terrorism,” Mr. Karzai said.
He was referring to the Defense authorisation bill that Mr. Trump signed into law on Thursday, which provides for up to $700 million to be transferred to Pakistan for coalition support.
While the U.S. still has to certify Pakistan is acting against the Haqqani network, the U.S. Congress also dropped a plan to add the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, that target India, to the list of groups Pakistan must be certified on for action taken.
Mr. Karzai, who has often criticised Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani’s government for concessions to the United States, also called for a Loya Jirga [meeting of tribal elders] to decide the future course of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, where it still maintains about 10,000 troops. “They (U.S.) must negotiate a new compact and terms of engagement for their presence in Afghanistan now. This is why I have been calling for the Loya Jirga to be convened, to re-legitimise the U.S. presence. The more the U.S. opposes this Jirga, the more Afghans will turn away from them,” he added.
Mr. Karzai said he had discussed developments in the region including “the war against terrorism and extremism” with Prime Minister Modi, who hosted an official dinner in his honour at Hyderabad House. The dinner was attended by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Dr. S. Jaishankar. “Delighted to meet my friend [Hamid Karzai] in New Delhi,” tweeted Prime Minister Modi, after the talks on Saturday evening.
However Mr. Karzai dismissed speculation that his visit and the ‘red carpet’ treatment he received entailed any special message or a change in Indian policy. “I go around the world and meet with leaders: I was with President Rouhani in Tehran and was received by President Putin in Russia, and by the Chinese leadership. India is of course more hospitable given my old connection here,” he said.