Afghan President Hamid Karzai welcomed Tuesday a wave of public demonstrations that followed a massive suicide bombing last week, in particular praising a provincial chief who implicated Pakistan. Thousands of Afghans have taken part in protests in at least four towns to condemn the January 16 attack — the deadliest in a recent string of suicide blasts — and accuse Pakistan of supporting the perpetrators. The blast killed at least 22 men leaving a wrestling match in the town of Spin Boldak on the border with Pakistan. The latest demonstration was in the western city of Herat Tuesday with nearly 1,000 people shouting, “Down with Pakistan, down with Pervez Musharraf.”“The entire nation was saddened,” Karzai said at a meeting of provincial governors in the capital Kabul. “There were demonstrations everywhere ... it was very good and courageous,” he said. The president singled out the governor of southern Kandahar province, Asadullah Khalid, who bluntly accused Pakistan of supporting Taliban and other militants apparently behind a spate of suicide attacks in his province, including the Spin Boldak blast. Khalid has “political courage and knowledge,” Karzai said.
The governorÂ’s criticism of Pakistan reflects popular opinion in Afghanistan although the president has himself never made similar accusations. Hundreds of Taliban and Al Qaeda militants fled to Pakistan after the hardliners were toppled. Afghan officials say they cross the porous border to launch attacks in Afghanistan, although Islamabad denies it.
| But then their lips fall off. |