Afghan President Hamid Karzai delivers a speech at a ground-breaking ceremony for a religious school in the outskirts of capital Kabul. He said that the people of Afghanistan would not forgive Osama Bin Laden. (Xinhua photo)

    KABUL, Jan. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday that the people of Afghanistan would not forgive Osama Bin Laden, the elusive leader of al-Qaida terrorist network.

    "We will not forgive Bin Laden, he is a foreigner and the killer of Afghans," he told a gathering after a ground-breaking ceremony for a religious school in the outskirts of capital Kabul.

    The alleged mastermind of the "911" terrorist attacks on the United States has been hiding since the collapse of the Taliban regime by the U.S. military in late 2001.

    Bin Laden, whose whereabouts is unknown, reportedly has proposed cease-fire to the United States.

    Karzai said: "It depends on the U.S. to accept the proposal or not but we want to punish him for his crime committed against Afghans here."

    He made the remarks amid increasing insurgency and suicide attacks particularly in the southern regions where hundreds of Taliban and al-Qaida fighters are believed to be hiding.

    Over 1,500 people were killed in Taliban and al-Qaida-linked militancy in 2005 while the militants firing and suicide attacks have claimed the lives of some 30 people and injured 50 others since the beginning of this year. Enditem