Karzai: He Needs Taliban Permission to Leave His Home

DID Press: Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has said he must inform the Taliban authorities before leaving his home in Kabul, adding that Taliban security personnel escort him to his destination and bring him back.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Karzai said that despite the restrictions placed on his movements, his overall relationship with Taliban officials remains “very respectful.” He said, however, that Taliban officials frequently criticize him over his public comments about their policies.

“After I inform them. They provide security. They escort me to wherever I need to go. They bring me back,” Karzai said, describing his situation as being effectively trapped at home.

Karzai said he would not make positive comments about the Taliban as long as girls remain barred from attending school. He said Taliban officials have asked him why he does not say positive things about their government, to which he responded that this would not change until girls return to school.

The former president also said India had offered to evacuate him from Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, but he rejected the proposal, telling the Indian ambassador that he would remain in his own country.

Karzai has remained in Kabul since the Taliban takeover and has continued to advocate for girls’ education, women’s participation in society and a more inclusive political order.