Karzai’s cousin dies at Delhi hospital

HASHIM KARZAI, the cousin of former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, on Monday succumbed to injuries he sustained in a bombing in Kandahar last week. He was being treated at a private hospital in Delhi.

“He was declared dead... the Afghan embassy is making arrangements for taking his body back to Kabul,” a top Afghan official told The Indian Express.

The former Afghan President, who is in Delhi to participate in the second edition of the Raisina Dialogue — a track-ii event organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and Observer Research Foundation — has been informed about the demise, Afghan officials told The Indian Express.

Hashim was a prominent businessman and he was in Kandahar when the explosion took place last week.

More than 10 people, including five UAE diplomats, lost their lives after explosives planted in the governor’s guesthouse went off last Tuesday.

No group, including the Taliban, has so far claimed responsibility for the bombing.

The Taliban rejected their involvement in the attack and blamed local officials for having internal disputes that led to the incident.

Former President Hamid Karzai had termed the explosion a terrorist attack.

Afghan CEO Abdullah Abdullah also came out strongly against the attacks and said on Twitter, “I condemn the coward and heinous terrorist attacks in #Kabul, #Kandahar & #Helmand today. The enemies will be held accountable.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also condemned the attack last week. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has appointed a task team to investigate the Kandahar incident.