Karzai urges more focus on rooting out militants in Pakistan KHAAMA PRESS – Mon Jul 11 2016

The former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has urged for more focus on rooting out militants in Pakistan, joining the Afghan government officials who are criticizing Pakistan for allowing the Afghan militant groups to use its soil for attacks in Afghanistan.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the former President saidthe U.S. has prolonged the conflict with its policies, urging more focus on rooting out militants in Pakistan, where former Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was killed in a U.S. drone strike in May.
“By bombing and droning Afghans or Afghan villages, you will not win this war because it isn’t here,” Karzai said. “We are victims.”
The remarks by Karzai comes President Ghani appeared in a press conference by concluding a visit to Poland where he participated in Warsaw summit.
Ghani also called on Pakistan to take actions against the militant groups based in the country and acting against Afghanistan.
“We don’t expect Pakistan to bring us peace. We want Pakistan to banish those groups from its territory that fight against Afghanistan,” Ghani said.
President Ghani further added that “war is imposed on us, and we don’t want war. We want a durable peace. All our neighbouring countries should respect our sovereignty.”
The Afghan officials have long been raising concerns regarding the presence of the Taliban group and Haqqani network leadership councils in Pakistan.
They are saying that the two groups are having leadership councils based in both Quetta and Peshawar cities of Pakistan from where they launch attacks in Afghanistan. www.khaama.com/karzai-urges-more-focus-on-rooting-out-militants-in-pakistan-01458