KABUL, Afghanistan: The former President Hamid Karzai has said that Pakistan wants Afghanistan to halt its relations with India and formally recognize Durand Line as an international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Hamid Karzai’s 13 years of rule as the Afghan leader ended after Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai emerged as his successor following the country’s presidential election held in June this year.
In an interview with 1TV, one of Afghanistan’s leading television station, Karzai said that the Pakistani officials have reiterated to their demands about halting ties with India and formal recognition of Durand Line by Afghanistan in meetings with the Afghan officials.
Karzai had almost 20 official visits to Pakistan during his leadership as the Afghan president. However, he said that Afghanistan and the Afghan people are suffering from growing violence since Kabul has continuously rejected the demands of Islamabad.
The ties between the two neighboring countries were particularly strained under former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who routinely accused Pakistan of providing support to the Afghan Taliban.
But on the other hand, Pakistan has reiterated on many occasions that peaceful, prosperous and united Afghanistan is in its vital interest.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a joint press conference along with the new Afghan president in Islamabad on November 15, assured the Afghan government that Islamabad will stand by Kabul and support its peaceful endeavors as both the countries are facing challenges of terrorism and extremism.
The prime minister said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan face formidable challenges including terrorism, security, environment and transnational crimes, and these can only be met by exploiting the full potential of cooperation collectively.
