‘Hype’: Karzai Defends Trump’s Jibe on India’s Role in Afghanistan

Hamid Karzai said that US President Trump “did not mean exactly what was reported in press.”

Former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai

(Photo: PTI) 

Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday, 10 January, said that US President Donald Trump’s jibe at India over not contributing enough to the war-torn country was hyped by the media, reported The Wire.

Speaking at the annual Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Karzai reportedly said that Trump was merely voicing what all Afghans desired – a greater role for India Afghanistan.

“I think media did a lot of hype on that. President Trump did not mean exactly what was reported in press,” he said.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saying that India had built a ‘library’ in Afghanistan, Trump had said on 3 January, “I could give you an example where I get along very well with India and Prime Minister Modi. But he is constantly telling me he built a library in Afghanistan. Library! That’s like five hours of what we spend (in Afghanistan).”

“What he was alluding to was seeking India’s larger role in Afghanistan and support from India for Afghan efforts for the peace process and reconstruction. Which is exactly what Afghans want. Of course, he put it in other words. He could have used different words for that.”

Hamid Karzai, former Afghanistan President, reported by The Wire

At the same time, Karzai also called India “the greatest contributor” to Afghanistan, and said that the two countries share a strong relationship.

“Most of the Afghan people view India in such good light... We want India to do as much as possible,” Karzai added.

Commenting further on what he called the “almost romantic relationship” between the two countries, Karzai said, “This romance realises expectations to an unrealistic level. We want India to do more in Afghanistan. We want India to do more, detached from any other country.”

India has not issued an official response to Trump’s statement, but Indian government officials have reportedly pointed out that New Delhi gave $3 billion in development assistance to Afghanistan, according to The Wire.

At the event, Karzai spoke about the peace process and said, “The Afghan-owned, Afghan-led peace means a peace process in which the Taliban movement and other Afghans sit together in an intra-Afghan dialogue.”

(With inputs from The Wire and IANS.)