Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Karzai Should Consider National Interest in BSA Negotiations: Yasini

Karzai Should Consider National Interest in BSA Negotiations: Yasini

KABUL - The First Deputy Speaker of the Lower House of the Afghan Parliament, Mirwais Yasini, said that President Hamid Karzai should consider the national interest while negotiating the Bilateral Security Agreement with the United States.

He said that the pre-conditions put up by the Afghan government on Washington to sign the agreement is impractical, referring to President Karzai's comments that the agreement would be only signed if security is insured in Afghanistan.

A number of analysts said that President Karzai should not sign the security agreement under pretext of fulfilling the interests of other countries.

Finalization of the security agreement between Kabul and Washington and talks with Taliban, have been an issue for tense debates between the Afghan and US governments.

Last week, President Karzai in his hour-long talk with the US Secretary of State, John Kerry had discussed on these two issues, officials briefed on the conversation said.

President Karzai has always said that he will sign the agreement when war and violence ends in Afghanistan. But according to the First Deputy Speaker of the Lower House, this is not going to happen by the end of his term in power.

"The precondition which the Afghan President has put for bringing peace and for signing the agreement is impractical and Kazrzai should not do things that will jeopardies the national interest of Afghanistan," Mirwais Yasini said.

Many in Washington have hoped that the Afghan government to finalize the security agreement before the term of Karzai ends.

"I hope that the agreement can be negotiated with President Karzai while he is still in office mostly because we can give an advance notice about the number of troops we are going keep in Afghanistan. We do not want to have the experience like we had in Iraq in 2011," said Michael O'Hanlon, a senior researcher at Brookings Institute.

It is being said that one the main demands of the Afghan government in this agreement is that if required, the US should provide necessary assistance to Afghanistan against Pakistani attacks.

In addition to these challenges it is being said that President Karzai is against the naming of Taliban office in Qatar as an official office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan because if the office is named in this manner it will legitimize the Taliban.

International relations analyst and former Afghan Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister, Mahmoud Saikal said that closing of this office will be tougher than opening it for the Afghan government and international community.

President Karzai is visiting Doha on Sunday, where he is addressing a Brookings Institute's US-Islamic World Forum. He is also expected to meet with Qatari officials. (Tolo News)