Former Afghan prez. Hamid Karzai to visit Pakistan next month

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai will be visiting Islamabad next month on the invitation of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

"I've received an invitation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif a couple of days back," the Express Tribune quoted him as saying.

He thanked Premier Nawaz and prayed for his recovery from the recent heart surgery in London.

Stating that cordial relations between Kabul and Islamabad were in the interest of both the neighbours, he praised Pakistan and its people for extending 'tremendous support and hospitality' to millions of Afghan refugees at a very crucial time.

"The Afghans will remember their unprecedented support forever," he added.

Karzai, who was known for his Pakistan-bashing during his elongated presidency also talked about Pakistan's Afghan policy.

"The Pakistani establishment should focus on strengthening friendly relations with the Afghans instead of using pressure tactics. Strategic depth should not be imposed on us - this should be replaced with a policy of friendship," he said.

He asserted that all issues between both nations could easily be resolved politically through mutual understanding and sought to quash the impression that the Afghan government could not take decisions as a sovereign nation.