U.S. has failed to walk the talk on Pakistan: Hamid Karzai 

U.S. has failed to walk the talk on Pakistan: Hamid Karzai 

Context

PM had hosted an official dinner in Mr Karzai’s honour at Hyderabad House

Karzai’s views

• India has the right to ask the U.S. questions on [continuing support to Pakistan], and it must think and rethink its policy in view of changes and developments in Afghanistan
• Calling the U.S. and Pakistan “bedfellows,” Mr. Karzai said Mr. Trump, who announced his new Afghan policy for South Asia in August this year, had failed to back his tough words on Pakistan with action. The policy, which entailed a larger role in development work for India as well as more pressure on Pakistan to act against terrorist safe havens within its borders, was welcomed by New Delhi at the time
• We have heard these words over the past 16 years, repeatedly from U.S. on terror sanctuaries within Pakistan. But we also see the U.S. talking of Pakistan as an ally, and being protective of Pakistan
• Now too, they pointed fingers at Pakistan and then within months they gave them another 700 million dollars in appreciation of their fight against terrorism
  • He was referring to the Defense authorisation bill that Mr. Trump signed into law on Thursday, which provides for up to $700 million to be transferred to Pakistan for coalition support
• He called for a Loya Jirga [meeting of tribal elders] to decide the future course of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, where it still maintains about 10,000 troops. They (U.S.) must negotiate a new compact and terms of engagement for their presence in Afghanistan now. This is why I have been calling for the Loya Jirga to be convened, to re-legitimise the U.S. presence. The more the U.S. opposes this Jirga, the more Afghans will turn away from them