Karzai pardons Pakistani would-be suicide bomber

KABUL - Afghan President Hamid Karzai pardoned Thursday a Pakistani child who had been arrested by the security forces after he attempted to carry out a suicide attack in the country, the presidential palace said.

The teenage boy belonged to a poor family in Pakistan had been sent to Afghanistan by “enemies” of the country’s “peace and stability” to carry out a suicide bombing, Karzai’s office said.

“Today the child was handed over to his family members, who were advised to keep him away from terrorist groups’ propaganda in future,” the statement said.

Afghan officials have repeatedly accused neighbouring Pakistan of not doing enough to clamp down on terrorist training centres inside its territory.