AT-KABUL: The ex-President Hamid Karzai urged the people of Afghanistan to support the government of national unity. Talking to a gathering, organized on the occasion of the 20th death anniversary of the founder of Wahdat-e-Mili party Abdul Ali Mazari, Hamid Karzai on Friday said that floods and avalanches killed hundreds of Afghans over the past couple of weeks, a bulk of them in Panjshir. “People’s support for natural disaster affected persons proved that we are one united nation,” Karzai added. Hamid Karzai linked Afghanistan’s development to national unity. “Our strength lies in national unity and we should bring this strength in use to steer our war-hit countries toward progress,” he said. Karzai said that Afghan youth should be encouraged to excel in education. He said that future development of Afghanistan was linked to better education of Afghan youth. He urged Afghan nation to send their children to school, for they are the future of this country. The Afghan ex-president also called on religious scholars and tribal elders to promote education. Hamid Karzai urged Afghan nation to lend their support to the government of national unity. “Afghanistan is moving towards a prosperous future and we should all join hands, and support the incumbent government to steer the country towards development,” he said. Talking about the fate of 30 passengers kidnapped in southern Zabul province, Karzai said, “We will spare no efforts to secure safe release of the abducted passengers.”