Karzai sees improved security, calls for progress in other areas

Karzai said IEA officials had repeatedly asked him to speak positively about their performance, but he stressed that he expresses his views openly on the matter.

He said he personally knows several IEA officials has discussed various issues with them during meetings and conversations, including girls’ education and women’s participation in the workplace.

Karzai added that, in his view, some IEA officials also support allowing girls to return to school and women to return to work.

He described girls’ education as one of Afghanistan’s major current challenges, saying that girls must attend school and women must have opportunities to work if the country is to have a vibrant society.

The Financial Times reported that two of Karzai’s three daughters have been deprived of secondary education because of the suspension of girls’ education.

In another part of the interview, Karzai said he does not want the IEA to leave Afghanistan, but he also opposes a situation in which one side simply replaces the other.

He stressed that both the IEA and its opposites are Afghans and should agree on a way to live together and find a solution.

“We need a country for everyone,” Karzai said.

Regarding his presidency, Karzai said the presence and assistance of the United States contributed to development and progress in Afghanistan. However, he said the large amount of US money entering the country also contributed to corruption in the government in some cases.

Karzai, meanwhile, praised the Islamic Emirate’s performance in maintaining security but said the situation was not satisfactory in terms of hope for the future, girls’ education, women’s rights and ensuring that all Afghans feel a sense of belonging to the country.