RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan May 4, 2017 Notorious former Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has called on his Taliban “brothers” to end their insurgency and offered to mediate talks between the militant group and with the government. Hekmatyar’s remarks on May 4 followed his return to the capital, Kabul, months after he signed a peace deal
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 29, 2017 Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, one Afghanistan’s most notorious warlords, has called on the Taliban to stop fighting government troops and begin peace talks. “I invite you to join the peace caravan and stop the pointless, meaningless and unholy war,” Hekmatyar, a former prime minister, told a gathering of Afghan politicians
Tolo News: Ahmad Zia Massoud, the president’s former special representative for reforms and good governance, on Friday apologized to the people for having supported President Ashraf Ghani during presidential elections and said he now regrets his decision. Speaking at the 25th anniversary of 8th of Saur, Mujahideen Victory Day against Mohammad Najibullah’s government, Massoud called Ghani
Tolo News: The family of a soldier who was killed in Friday’s attack on the Afghan National Army’s 209 Shaheen Corps Headquarters in Balkh province said they were shocked by the large number of dead bodies they saw and that they want justice to be served on those who failed to prevent the attack. Click here
Tolo News: The former president said after Friday’s army base attack he can no longer call the Taliban brothers. In a rare change of tone, former president Hamid Karzai on Sunday labeled the Taliban as an insurgent group, saying he will no longer see the Taliban as “brothers”. Karzai’s policy shift on the Taliban comes
1TV: Wardak, who acted as education minister and state minister of parliamentary affairs under Karzai, replaced Ghulam Nabi Farahi, who has been shifted to the newly created post of State Minister for Tourism. In a separate decree, the president has nominated Faizullah Zaki as Minister of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled. Click here to read
Tolo News: Consultations will be held between a number of political leaders over the next few days where they will discuss issues relating to early elections, the establishment of an interim government and the resignation of President Ashraf Ghani, said Rahmatullah Bezhanpor, spokesman for Ghani’s former special representative for reforms and good governance Ahmad Zia Massoud.
Tolo News: Ahmad Zia Massoud, who was sacked from his position as the president’s special representative for reforms and good governance, on Tuesday said the move could pave the way for political instability in the country. President Ashraf Ghani fired Massoud on Monday night, without giving any details. However, soon after the announcement, Ghani’s spokesman Shahhussain
Khaama Press: Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said Pakistan had demanded recognition of Durand Line as the formal international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan during his presidency. Speaking during in a Kabul, Karzai said Pakistan had also demanded a reduction in bilateral ties between Kabul and New Delhi. Click here to read more (external
Press TV April 15, 2017 Afghanistan’s former President Hamid Karzai has slammed the government in Kabul over a recent US bombardment of suspected Daesh terrorists, saying allowing the US military to use its largest conventional bomb in the country was tantamount to treason. “If the government has permitted them to do this, that was wrong