London: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has
cancelled a visit to Britain to fly home after at least 59 people were killed in twin attacks on Shiite shrines, an embassy official said Wednesday.
"President Karzai will no longer be coming to London. He
is flying back to Afghanistan following today`s events," Hanif
Aman, a spokesman for the Afghan embassy in London, told reporters.
Karzai had been due to arrive in London later today from
Germany for talks with Prime Minister David Cameron.
A spokeswoman for Cameron`s Downing Street office said, "I can confirm that President Karzai has cancelled his visit."
A statement from Karzai`s office in Kabul said that on
his return, he was to meet the families of victims of the
attacks on Shiite shrines in the capital and the northern city
of Mazar-i-Sharif.
"President Karzai has cancelled his trip to London due to
today`s terrorist attacks. President Karzai, who was in Bonn,
was due to visit London this afternoon," it said.
"But learning about two suicide attacks in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, he cancelled his trip to London and headed back to Afghanistan.
"He is due to meet with families of victims when in
Afghanistan to express his grief and share his sympathies."
At a press conference with German Chancellor Angela
Merkel earlier today in Berlin, Karzai said the bombings were
the first "terrorist" attacks of their kind on the Shiite holy
day of Ashura.
The attacks occurred just a day after an international
conference in Bonn on the future of Afghanistan after NATO
troops pull out at the end of 2014, and raised fears of
possible sectarian tensions.
PTI
