“Afghanistan and India have deep strategic dialogue on all issues. My meeting yesterday with the Prime Minister was indeed an indepth dialogue on the BSA and on Afghanistan's conditions for signing it. Of course India believes that having continued NATO presence in Afghanistan in limited way and limited numbers beyond 2014 is good for Afghanistan,” Karzai said.
He said people of Afghanistan have given approval to the BSA but at the same time they do not want bombing and attack on Afghan homes by the NATO forces and the US must ensure respect of the sentiments of people of his country.
“When certain US officials tells you that if you do not give us BSA, your country will go to civil war that's a threat,” he said, criticising the US on the issue. Asked about Pakistan's role in the peace process, Karzai said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had promised his cooperation and he did not have any doubt about his sincerity. “I have confidence in sincerity of Sharif.”
Severely critical of functioning of the NATO forces in Afghanistan, Karzai said the policy of “giving billions of dollars” and thinking of having the “right” to attack Afghan homes will not be acceptable to him.
Karzai said he would like the US to “respect Afghan homes just like they respect their own homes. In pursuit of a bad person, the US does not bomb its homes.” Giving an example of attacks by US forces in Afghanistan, he said recently they bombed a house in a remote part of the country to catch a suspected Taliban militant in which a two-year-old boy was killed and his mother was critically injured.
“When Mr Obama writes to me that the forces would respect the homes, it should be proved. Its not been proven yet,” he said.
Asked about talks with various militant outfits in the peace process, Karzai said he was against involving those having links with Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups having links with foreign terror groups.
On projects involving India, he said he wants “full speed” in implementation of those projects. He said his government was adopting a cautious approach so far as its mineral resources are concerned to ensure that they do not become “source of problems”.
He also identified Chabahar as an important project among India, Iran and Afghanistan. The transit agreement involves India, Iran and Afghanistan. India had held discussions with Iran on the Chabahar port during External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's visit to Tehran in May.
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