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
RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan April 28, 2017 Notorious former Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has held talks with government representatives in eastern Afghanistan after years outside the country, his first public meetings with officials from the Western-backed government since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. The meetings on April 28 came after Hekmatyar’s Hezb-e Islami militant group
Anadolu Agency: It took the Afghan government years to reach its landmark peace deal with ex-rebel leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, but the stalemate in implementation of the accord’s terms, in particular the release of Hezb-e-Islami prisoners, is putting everything at stake. Lately, Hekmatyar’s men have been publically expressing their growing frustration with the Kabul government. Click here
Tolo News: A Turkish newspaper has claimed Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of the Hizb-e-Islami group, is currently in hospital in Istanbul. The newspaper, Aydinlik, quoted a Turkish intelligence source as saying Hekmatyar is being treated at an Istanbul hospital. No details were however given. Click here to read more (external link).
DW: Hekmatyar’s chief negotiator, Amin Karim, told the Associated Press news agency that the warlord would return to the Afghan capital, Kabul, in “a matter of weeks, not months.” He is believed to be currently hiding in the eastern Kunar province, where he enjoys popular support. “More fighting will result in more bloodshed, and that is
Ayaz Gul VOA News February 4, 2017 ISLAMABAD — The United Nations has removed notorious Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar from its list of designated terrorists following his recent peace agreement with the Kabul government. “Therefore, the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo … no longer apply to him,” the U.N. Security Council’s Sanctions Committee said
Khaama Press: The leader of Hezb-e-Islami, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar may return to Kabul even before sanctions relief or removal of party leaders’ name from the UN blacklist. According to a statement released by Hezb-e-Islami party, Hekmatyar has called on the government to enforce the peace deal, slamming certain countries that attempt to hinder the peace agreement signed
Tolo News: Russia is likely to obstruct the process of removing Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s name from the UN sanctions list, a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report stated Tuesday. Quoting Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova the report stated that Russia has put the delisting on hold but hadn’t blocked it. She did not give reasons to why
Tolo News: Habiburrahman Hekmatyar, son of reconciled leader of Hizb-e-Islami Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, at a gathering on Thursday termed the Taliban and other insurgent groups in the country slaves of foreigners. “Recently, these murderers and slaves are named as Khawarij in media, but I must say that they [Taliban] are worse than Khawarij,” Junior Hekmatyar said. The
Tolo News: A credible source told TOLOnews that the reason for France objecting to the removal of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s name from the UN’s blacklist has not been clarified, but some political commentators have linked their reluctance to the killing of ten French soldiers in 2013 by the Hizb-e-Islami group. Three years ago, militants reportedly associated with