'Don't leave Afghanistan half-way'

Q: How do you look at Afghanistan joining the SAARC?
It is a great opportunity for us and SAARC countries to take advantage of Afghanistan's economic reconstruction and to help build democratic institutions.
I believe now there is a greater opportunity to open a corridor between South and central Asian countries to benefit all.
Q: How are bilateral ties shaping?
President Karzai has lauded the quality of Indian help that is all round and visible, adding to the fund of goodwill.More and more Afghan students will come to India to receive education that is cheaper, secular and advanced.
In the next five years, Indian education will help produce a professionals' army ��� without the guns. But why did it have to await prime minister Manmohan Singh's visit to announce 1,000 scholarships?
Education should remain on top of the agenda because for us, anything without education would be like building on sand.
Q: The Bonn Agreement of 2001 set the pace.
It is time to think of Bonn-II. We had taken 150 years to reach where we were as a monarchy. Bonn process did that and more in four years.
It was quick because of positive foreign focus and assistance and, of course, the Afghan people's political success in implementing it and moving on.
Imagine how millions have voted; the ladies in burqas trudging miles with (voter's) card in hand and hope in heart, symbolising a "thank you" to the world.
But also a plea: Don't leave us half-way. If this focus remains, we shall invite tourists, not terrorists. If we are abandoned, then Taliban shall return to wreak something worse than 9/11.
Q: A question is often asked: What would have happened but for 9/11?
By end-2001, entire Afgha-nistan would have been captured by Taliban. By now, most of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgiztan would have been run over by al-Qaida.
Afghanistan would have become a khilafat (caliphate), training and exporting 50,000 terrorists. The people of Pakistan would have been in jeopardy.
The world would have had to recognise the Taliban, welcoming them to the OIC and the UN. With al-Qaida at India's doorstep, what would have happened to J&K can only be imagined.