Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Returns to Kabul and Calls for an End to War by the Taliban

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, one of Afghanistan's ruthless warlords, urged the Taliban 'brothers' to end the war and proposed to mediate in negotiations between the group and the Afghan government. These remarks were made by Mr. Hekmatyar on May 2, following his arrival in Kabul several months after signing a peace agreement with the Afghan government. According to a report on Thursday, May 3, by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, he stated at a ceremony held in his honor at the Afghan presidential palace: 'I ask the Taliban to choose me as their brother. I will fight for all your legitimate demands.' Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who served as Afghanistan's prime minister for a period, called on the Taliban to join the peace process to 'end all justifications for the presence of foreign forces on Afghan soil.' Known as the 'Butcher of Kabul,' Mr. Hekmatyar is primarily remembered for his role in the internal wars of the 1990s, during which thousands of people in the Afghan capital were killed. The militant and extremist group Hezb-e Islami, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, signed a peace agreement with Ashraf Ghani's government in September 2016. Under this agreement, Hezb-e Islami laid down its arms and ended armed operations against the government throughout Afghanistan. In return, the release of Hezb-e Islami prisoners from Afghan prisons was one of the conditions included in this agreement. This controversial peace agreement has been criticized by many Afghans and human rights groups in the West, who accuse Gulbuddin Hekmatyar of widespread human rights violations during the internal wars of the 1990s. The Hezb-e Islami group is also recognized for its armed attacks against American and Afghan forces since 2001, when U.S. forces occupied Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban regime following terrorist attacks on its cities. Before Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Ashraf Ghani stated that signing the peace agreement with Hekmatyar was a 'significant step' towards peace. The Afghan president added: 'I urge armed opposition groups to take a lesson from Hezb-e Islami and join the peace process.' Mr. Ghani further stated: 'Let me ask the Taliban. What other goals and plans do you have besides killing innocent people? What achievements have you made so far?' A convoy of hundreds of heavily armed vehicles escorted Gulbuddin Hekmatyar from Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan to Kabul. Afghan military and security forces were deployed along the entire 160-kilometer route to ensure his security. Before attending this ceremony, Hekmatyar met and discussed with Ashraf Ghani at the presidential palace. He is scheduled to speak at Ghazni Stadium in Kabul on Friday, and his speech will be broadcast live on television. Last week, in a speech in Laghman province in eastern Afghanistan, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, with his famous white beard and black turban, urged the Taliban to lay down their arms and join the 'peace caravan.' Gulbuddin Hekmatyar founded Hezb-e Islami in the early 1970s. After the Soviet Army occupied Afghanistan, this party became one of the main Mujahideen forces in the fight against the Soviet Army, and after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, Hezb-e Islami was one of the main Mujahideen groups that participated in the bloody internal wars for the capture of Kabul. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who served as Afghanistan's prime minister during the Mujahideen government, was one of the main actors and organizers of the internal wars from 1992 to 1996. Human rights groups hold him responsible for bombing residential areas in Kabul during the 1990s and for the disappearance of individuals and the establishment of secret prisons where torture was prevalent. The U.S. State Department placed him on its list of terrorists in 2003.