Speaking on behalf of Jalali, his brother Abdul Salam Jalali told a gathering in Kabul on Monday they had held a meeting with Karzai and after studying his manifesto, decided to support him.

"Due to the multiplicity of candidates in the presidential race, Ali Ahmad Jalali did not jump into the fray," his brother added.

He claimed millions of people supported the ex-interior minister's policies and hailed his decision to back the incumbent president. "Karzai's polices are workable and that is why we back him," argued Abdul Salam Jalali.

ma/mud