‘Best Indo-Afghan trade route runs through Pak but it’s not being used’

There have been so many changes in your country. What do the people in Afghanistan think of India today?
India is not a new country for the people of Afghanistan. Our people are aware that during the ten years Resistance against the Taliban, the Indian people stood beside us and supported us. Today, India is involved in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of our country.

You have given us aircraft, buses, the Habibia High school in Kabul is going to be reconstructed… most important, we remember how you supported us during the resistance. So we look upon India with the eyes of brotherhood and friendship.

What kind of changes have taken place in Afghanistan since September 11?
After the events of September 9 and 11, big changes have taken place in Afghanistan. The great Masood was the leader of the resistance against the Taliban. The leadership lost a great leader. But most importantly, despite losing Masood, we continued our stand against the Taliban. Because Masood was not the name of a person, it was the name of a system, a thought, a process. We may have lost his physical body, but his thought and his ideology are still with us.

After his death, the first thing we did was to integrate ourselves. We were motivated to continue and strengthen the resistance. The sins of revenge became stronger after the blood of the great Masood was spilt. After his martyrdom, we kept going and only very slowly we told the people about his death. Two days later, the events of September 11 took place. That is another matter.

Do you feel there was a link between the death of Masood and the September 11 events?
Yes, there was a big link. In my opinion, Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda knew that the world understood Masood’s ability to take on the terrorists. Secondly, these terrorists had everything, but they needed a place, territory—Afghanistan—from where they could function. They thought that with Masood’s death, there would be no resistance from the people who lived on this land.

That was a miscalculation. I want to tell you that Pakistan’s former army chief Aslam Beg, in an interview had even said that the face of Afghanistan would change by December 10. At first we did not understand what he meant. After Masood’s death, we realised what he was saying.

How are your relations with America today?
During the years of the Taliban, our relations with America were not as strong as they ought to be. But after the events of September 11, our relations with America have become stronger and stronger, closer and closer.

Now the international community is with us. Earlier, we were struggling against terrorism alone, for several years. After September 11, their involvement helped us to defeat the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

So where is Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda today?
Most of the leaders of the Al Qaeda and the Taliban live beyond Afghanistan’s borders. Sometimes, they secretly enter Afghanistan.

But where are they?
They are settled on the border of Pakistan, beyond the border of Afghanistan. On the other side of the Afghan border, in the territory that belongs to Pakistan.

So is Osama in Pakistan?
Most of the time he is beyond the border of Afghanistan. In the past, occasionally, he would secretly enter Afghanistan. But now he is not inside Afghanistan, he is living outside, beyond the border of Afghanistan.

Is he in Pakistan?
When he is not living in Afghanistan, obviously he is living out of Afghanistan.

He could be in Iran…
No, impossible….

How are India and Afghanistan building trade relations with each other?
The best trade route is through Pakistan. This is for the benefit of Pakistan and Afghanistan. But this route is not used. If the Pakistani government doesn’t allow us to use this route, the best alternative would be to use the alternative route through Bandarabbas in Iran.

How is the international community helping Afghanistan?
We are happy the world is focussed on our country. You are aware the European community is taking part in the issue of rehabilitation and national security.

Karzai’s security is managed by the Americans, what is the reaction to that?
It used to be managed. A team from the US was training Karzai’s security guard.

What is your reaction to reports that Karzai’s control does not run beyond Kabul?
This is not a fact. Karzai is the president of Afghanistan and he has been elected by the Loya Jirga. His orders are implemented all over the country. There is no doubt that we have some forces in the provinces, but they have declared that they are ready to cooperate and obey Mr Karzai. There was only one rebellion in south of Pakhtia province. But that has been sorted out now.