8am: Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Peace, has recently lashed out at Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan, calling him the “Butcher of Kabul” in a post shared in Persian, Pashto, and English on X. Hekmatyar, for his part, had previously described Khalilzad as the “invisible president of Afghanistan.” Khalilzad’s latest
Afghanistan International: Hezb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has accused the Taliban of pursuing a policy of hostility toward all political groups, warning that Afghanistan lacks national unity under their rule. In a series of posts on X on Monday, Hekmatyar questioned whether Afghans could agree on a “national covenant” that would provide a unified and inclusive
Afghanistan International: The Taliban has ordered the closure of all Hezb-e-Islami offices across Afghanistan, the arrest of its staff, and the confiscation of its office equipment, according to a document shared by Habib-ur-Rahman Hekmatyar, son of party leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. The Taliban dissolved the political parties department within the Ministry of Justice in April 2022
By Abubakar Siddique June 11, 2024 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty The Taliban government has cracked down on rival Islamist parties in Afghanistan in what is seen as an effort to prevent any future opposition to its hard-line rule. Since banning all political parties last year, the Taliban has targeted two of its major former rivals. It
Abubakar Siddique RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi May 8, 2024 The Taliban is widening its crackdown on dissent by targeting political parties in Afghanistan. The extremist group banned all political parties last year. But in recent months, the Taliban has clamped down on parties still deemed to be active. Among the high-profile targets is the Hezb-e Islami
Afghanistan International: Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hezb-e-Islami, has stated that with the Taliban assuming power in Afghanistan, the foundation for an “independent and robust government” in the country has been established. However, Afghanistan’s airspace remains under United States’ occupation. Hekmatyar has demanded from the Taliban that if the United States does not cease this
Khaama: According to media reports, Taliban forces have reportedly surrounded the house of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hizb-e-Islami, in Kabul. It has been said that the controversy revolves around the land of Hekmatyar’s house; according to the Taliban, it belongs to the Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan. Habib al-Rahman, Hekmatyar’s son, wrote in a
Jeff Seldin VOA News August 18, 2023 Two years after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, there is growing consensus that the country is again devolving into a hotbed of terrorism activity that is already beginning to affect the region, if not yet capable of reaching the West. Some of the more damning assessments have come
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi December 2, 2022 Unidentified militants tried to storm the headquarters of the Afghan party Hizb-e Islami headed by veteran politician Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the party said in a statement. Two attackers were killed as they tried to enter the Kabul building, and a third escaped. Officials said Hekmatyar was inside at the time
Ariana: Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Hizb-e-Islami, on Friday called for establishment of a council whose members would be elected by the people and which would draft a constitution and decide the future governance system. “We never want to join a government which is not formed based on the people’s votes…where the highest authority is not