Karzai Wants World to Work With Taliban, Focus on Aid

Former President Hamid Karzai has called on the international community to work with the Taliban and focus on delivering aid to Afghanistan.

“The reality on the ground is that the Taliban are now the de facto authorities in the country,” the former president said in his interview with CNN.

Former President Hamid Karzai said that it is now time for the international community to work with the Taliban to prevent millions of Afghans from starving to death.

He added that the international community should prioritize aid to Afghans in need and put an end to distrust.

Asked how the world could interact with a group responsible for documented crimes, extrajudicial killings, Hamid Karzai, who came to power after the fall of the former Taliban, said: “The issue of crimes is very unfortunate.” According to him, these crimes were committed by all parties.

Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the Supreme National Reconciliation Council, are among the few political leaders to remain in Kabul after the Taliban took control. Together with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hezb-e-Islami, they formed a council to restore order in Kabul.

The Taliban government has not yet been recognized by the international community.