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Afghanistan : Karzai assumes charge as elected President |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has congratulated Hamid Karzai on his formally taking over as the first elected President of Afghanistan after recent elections. In a letter delivered by Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Prithviraj Chauhan, who had gone to Kabul to represent India at his swearing-in ceremony, Dr. Singh said India looks forward to continuing to work closely with him to further strengthen the traditional ties between the two countries.
President Karzai was sworn in at a ceremony amid tight security in Kabul on Dec. 7 attended by scores of foreign dignitaries including US Vice- President Dick Cheney and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. He was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice Fazi Hadi Zhinwari. Placing his hand on the Quran, he took the oath of allegiance in the heavily fortified Presidential Palace in Kabul. The Taliban had threatened to disrupt Karzai’s investiture. Mullah Dadullah, senior military commander and a member of the 10-member Taliban council had told Reuters by satellite phone that the Afghans should avoid potential government and military targets during the Karzai ceremony as the Taliban do not want to harm innocent people. The ceremony however, passed peacefully without any sign of disruption.
In his acceptance speech, President Karzai said the fight against terrorism was not yet over although his government had succeeded in reducing this common enemy to humanity. He said, the relationship between terrorism and narcotics and the threat of extremism in the region was a source of continuing concern. He reiterated his pledges – cracking down on the booming opium trade, disarming militants and lifting living standards. He said he would eradicate terrorism with the cooperation of the international community.
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