Hamid Karzai

Amu: Former President Hamid Karzai has pushed back against recent remarks by Pakistan’s President, Asif Ali Zardari, disputing claims over the cultural and historical legacy of the Gandhara region and elements of shared heritage. Karzai said that the civilizations of present-day northern India and Pakistan are continuations of what he described as the civilization of modern Afghanistan, and that Kandahar and its historical identity are rooted in what he called “ancient Ariana,” a region that once stretched from Bamiyan to the Indus basin. His comments, posted on the social platform X, came in response to a message issued by Zardari marking World Heritage Day on April 18, in which the Pakistani leader described his country as a crossroads of ancient civilizations. In that statement, Zardari highlighted cultural traditions spanning from the Indus Valley civilization to the Mughal era, and cited Gandhara as part of the historical legacy that shapes Pakistan’s national identity. Click here to read more (external link).