India, China, US, Russia must fight terror jointly: Hamid Karzai

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai blamed Pakistan's spy agency ISI for the revival of Taliban in Afghanistan.

New Delhi: The US, India, Russia and China must join hands for a "genuine fight" against terrorism in the region and the Donald Trump regime should demonstrate its resolve to combat the threat by changing America's existing policy towards Pakistan, former Afghan president Hamid Karzai said on Thursday.

Blaming Pakistan's spy agency ISI for the revival of Taliban in Afghanistan, he also said the US must deeply reassess its relations with Pakistan and come together with countries like India to defeat terrorism and extremism in the region.

Karzai made the remarks during a conversation with Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar at the concluding session of the three-day long Raisina Dialogue.

In his comments, Akbar called for concerted global action against terrorism and asserted that "not an inch of India's territory is for compromise".

Referring to the threat of terrorism and other challenges, he said India wants "prosperity" and "not war" but has the required clarity and resolve to contain the menace. He said the region is facing an existential problem.

He also expressed anguished over the failure of the United Nations to arrive at a definition of terrorism for last 20 years, saying the fight against it cannot be effective if there is no clarity on it. "How on earth you are going to confront it when you could not define terrorism for last 20 years."

Referring to the threat of terrorism and other challenges, he said India wants "prosperity" and "not war" but asserted that "not an inch of our territory is for compromise".

Karzai said countries of the region must "realign" their policies to defeat extremism and terrorism.

He hoped that good equation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump will lead to "good policy" for the region and help combat terrorism.

Karzai said a cooperative Russia and its friendship with the US will be a tremendous asset to the region.

"A Russia that fears the US intentions will be a disaster for the region," he cautioned.

Karzai said Afghanistan was "suffering immensely" because of certain aspects of the wrong policy of the US and that a fundamental change in its policy towards Afghanistan was required.

He said American policy in Afghanistan cannot change without a change in its policy towards Pakistan.

"Russia, the US, China, and India must get together for a genuine fight against terrorism. The US has to explain its genuineness to defeat terror groups. Unless they do it countries in the region will not believe them."