President Karzai has said he supports stance of the new Pakistani Government on drone strikes across the border. Talking to a private Pakistani TV channel Geo, he said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was right on the US drone attacks inside Pakistan and the Afghan government supports their stance.
The new Pakistani government after taking oath two weeks ago has been demanding the US to stop drone strikes inside Pakistan’s tribal areas against Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants. Commenting on the matter, President Karzai has said the issue of drones is between the US and Pakistan. “I am not in favor of drone attacks in Pakistan, I am against it and I endorse Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's stand on this. I will stand with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif against drone attacks, just as I have stood against American military operations in Afghanistan where civilians were killed, where civilians were wounded, where civilian homes were destroyed. I will fully stand with Pakistan against any activity by any foreign power that causes civilian casualties in Pakistan," he added.
Though concluded with carefully worded last sentence, one could understand if President Karzai has spoken to Pakistani audience about the issue, but they are no fools. The people of Pakistan and its government know well that President Karzai has been calling for action against terrorist safe havens inside Pakistan. It is difficult to understand the purpose of such statements. If he thinks the drone strikes should be stopped, why the crying about Taliban safe havens in the tribal areas across the border?
The drone strikes have been the most effective weapon against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants hiding in the villages of Waziristan and other agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. The new Pakistani government has been making demands of halt to such attacks. But they have failed to maintain their sovereignty by kicking foreign terrorists out of their territory, who hide in tribal areas and organize attacks against coalition troops inside Afghanistan. Sovereignty also needs responsibility of the states to maintain writ inside their territory which should not be used by terrorist organizations against other countries. Position of the new Pakistani government on drone strikes would not find legitimate support in any international forum because the entire world alleges that FATA has become a safe haven for terrorists from Taliban to Al-Qaeda and other international Jihadi groups.
President Karzai on every occasion has said that roots of terrorism are not in Afghanistan and militants have safe havens across the border, but his position on drone strikes portrays that his statements are meant to highlight the civilian casualties not the drone attacks as a whole.