Karzai: Pakistan Seeks a Weak Afghanistan, Undermining Regional Stability
Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, criticized Pakistan’s attacks on Afghan territory, stating that Islamabad will always have conflicts with Afghanistan’s government regardless of who holds power in Kabul. He emphasized that Pakistan’s policy has been based on weakening Afghanistan, a strategy that ultimately harms peace and stability in the region. In an interview with Sky News, Karzai said Pakistan seeks a weak Afghanistan—a policy that, according to him, has yielded no results over the past four decades. He urged Pakistan’s leadership to abandon this approach and open a new chapter in bilateral relations grounded in mutual respect and civilized principles. During the interview conducted on Tuesday with Yalda Hakim, he said: “My advice to Pakistan’s leadership is to please treat Afghanistan in a civilized manner. Abandon approaches that have not delivered results in the past four decades because they will not work in the future either.” The former president added that he believes the Pakistani government has shown little interest in establishing logical and balanced relations with Afghanistan. Instead, it has pursued policies that have led to chaos, weakness, and stagnation within Afghanistan, describing this approach as “completely wrong.” Karzai also remarked that the consequences of these policies have now affected Pakistan itself. He said that reliance on extremism and the instrumental use of radicalism to exert pressure on Afghanistan have not only damaged regional stability but have also proven costly for Pakistan. Nevertheless, he stressed that the Afghan people desire good and constructive relations with Pakistan and wish stability and progress for that country. Karzai concluded by stating that Islamabad should not continue to hold Afghanistan responsible for the repercussions of its misguided policies.
