The Afghan President Hamid Karzai has criticised US plans to begin withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan in July 2011. Mr Karzai said that giving a date for the withdrawal has given the Taliban insurgency a morale boost. He also said the war cannot be won as long as the Taliban is able to take refuge in Pakistan. The comments were made by Mr Karzai at a meeting in Kabul with a group of visiting US members of Congress, and repeated in a statement from his office. Mr Karzai said progress had been made in rebuilding the country after decades of war, but that Afghan civilian casualties caused by Nato military operations were hampering progress. The Afghan President also criticised a lack of focus on destroying the terrorists' refuge across the border in Pakistan. The Afghan government has repeatedly demanded that the US take tougher action against Pakistan.