President Hamid Karzai sought to distance himself on Monday from controversial remarks made in an interview in which he said Afghanistan would back Pakistan against the US if the two ever came to blows.
The presidential palace said Karzai’s comments, made in an interview with a private Pakistani television, were “misinterpreted”.
Karzai had said that his country would support Pakistan if it was attacked by either the United States or India.
“God forbid, if any time war erupts between Pakistan and America, Afghanistan will side with Pakistan,” Karzai said in an interview aired late Saturday.
Nevertheless the comments raised eyebrows among Western officials in Kabul allied to the 10-year campaign to keep the Taliban from returning to power.
Christopher Chambers, a NATO spokesman, told reporters in Kabul, “we all need to focus on much wider dialogue that’s required for peace and which the people of both countries mostly certainly want and certainly deserve.”
The palace insisted the remarks were broadcasted out of context. “Pakistani media has misinterpreted it,” said the president’s Deputy Spokesman Seyamak Herawi.
Karzai backtracks on remarks in favour of Pakistan
