Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai had termed the intelliegce agreement with Pakistan "an embarrasment".
New Delhi:
Months after his country agreed to cooperate with Pakistan's intelligence agencies, former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has said that the agreement would not be implemented. Speaking to select journalists in Delhi on Thursday, Mr Karzai said the Afghanistan government was pulling away from the agreement after rising tension between Kabul and Islamabad over recent attacks.
"The MoU does not remain," said Mr Karzai, adding that he had a conversation with his successor, President Ashraf Ghani, which he hopes "will bear fruit as we move on." He also said, "the Afghan people have rejected it... it is clearly against Afghan interests."
Reportedly signed in May, the agreement has raised serious concerns in New Delhi. According to the agreement it is believed the ISI will not only train and equip Afghan intelligence, but will also jointly interrogate terror accused. The Afghan parliament had seen disruptions over the contents of this agreement. Soon after it was agreed to, Mr Karzai called it an embarrassment and demanded that it be revoked.
Several recent attacks in Kabul and other major Afghan cities have forced President Ghani to point the finger of blame at Pakistan. Relations between the neighbours have been further strained after last month's announcement that Taliban chief Mullah Omar was dead and the appointment of his deputy Mullah Mansoor as the new head of the Taliban and Sirajuddin Haqqani as his deputy.
The Haqqani network is believed to be behind many of the attacks in Kabul, including those against Indian targets. Mr Karzai, saying the Haqqani group's role in these attacks must be investigated, said, "The Taliban must begin to act as Afghans, in Afghanistan's interests, and that includes in our interests with India. Security for us means security for India and security for India is good for us."
"We want to be friendly with the Pakistani people, but the Pakistani intelligence and ISI is not a good example to emulate in Afghanistan. So, for that reason, the partnership is not right for us," Mr Karzai added.
"The MoU does not remain," said Mr Karzai, adding that he had a conversation with his successor, President Ashraf Ghani, which he hopes "will bear fruit as we move on." He also said, "the Afghan people have rejected it... it is clearly against Afghan interests."
Reportedly signed in May, the agreement has raised serious concerns in New Delhi. According to the agreement it is believed the ISI will not only train and equip Afghan intelligence, but will also jointly interrogate terror accused. The Afghan parliament had seen disruptions over the contents of this agreement. Soon after it was agreed to, Mr Karzai called it an embarrassment and demanded that it be revoked.
Several recent attacks in Kabul and other major Afghan cities have forced President Ghani to point the finger of blame at Pakistan. Relations between the neighbours have been further strained after last month's announcement that Taliban chief Mullah Omar was dead and the appointment of his deputy Mullah Mansoor as the new head of the Taliban and Sirajuddin Haqqani as his deputy.
The Haqqani network is believed to be behind many of the attacks in Kabul, including those against Indian targets. Mr Karzai, saying the Haqqani group's role in these attacks must be investigated, said, "The Taliban must begin to act as Afghans, in Afghanistan's interests, and that includes in our interests with India. Security for us means security for India and security for India is good for us."
"We want to be friendly with the Pakistani people, but the Pakistani intelligence and ISI is not a good example to emulate in Afghanistan. So, for that reason, the partnership is not right for us," Mr Karzai added.
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