KABUL - In what has become a regular routine, a number of Afghan Senators on Sunday called on President Hamid Karzai to sign the Kabul-Washington Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which has been shelved since it was approved by a Loya Jirga in November.

The Senators said that a continued delay in signing the agreement would hurt Afghanistan's interests and stoke the fires of insurgency in the coming years.

"A statement should be released and the BSA must be signed very soon," Senator Aref Pashton said. "President Karzai should make it clear that it is in favor of Afghans..."

Senator Najiba Hussaini said "the fate of the Afghan-US security agreement should be clarified...the people are waiting."

Despite a 2,500-person Loya Jirga - convened by President Karzai himself - approving the BSA for passage last November, Karzai has refused to sign the agreement until the U.S. meets new conditions he rolled out at the concluding ceremony of the Jirga. He has said the U.S. must help kickstart Taliban peace talks and end unilateral operations on Afghan homes.

The U.S. has shown no interest in meeting his demands, and has progressively ramped-up pressure on Karzai to sign the agreement, which would ensure a residual foreign troop presence in Afghanistan after the NATO combat mission ends in December.

Karzai's tactics have garnered heavy criticism amongst Afghans as well, especially in Parliament and amongst military analysts. (Tolonews)