New Delhi: Former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai on Saturday appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for "freedom" for Balochistan.
Karzai India is not engaged in any proxy war in Afghanistan and has been sincerely carrying out reconstruction work there. He slammed Pakistan for "encouraging" radicalism and not containing terror groups operating from its soil.
Earlier, several Baloch leaders praised and thanked PM Modi for highlighting the Balochistan issue internationally.
Karzai's statement is certain to raise eyebrows in Pakistan.
PM Modi in his Independence Day speech openly came out in support of "freedom" for Balochistan and "Pakistan-occupied Kashmir" and said India will never tolerate terrorism.
"The world is watching. People of Balochistan, Gilgit, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have thanked me a lot in the past few days. I am grateful to them," Modi said, referring to his comments last week on excesses in Pakistan's largest province and in the part of Kashmir it holds.
Notably, the PoK region recently has been witnessing huge protests. Locals in the region have been agitating on the streets to protest against the rigged July 21 election and Pakistan occupation in the region.
Last year reports had emerged that residents of PoK were openly advocating to be a part of India. They were said to be impressed with PM Narendra Modi's style of governance.
