KABUL (AA): Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, veteran Afghan mujahideen leader and headof the Hezb-e-Islami party, has expressed his willingness to form analliance with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
“Hezb-e-Islami is ready for direct talks with the Taliban, as well as forpartnership and cooperation. We believe that if these two groups joinhands, the crisis in Afghanistan will end soon and no force will be able tostand against it,” he told supporters at the party’s headquarters in thecapital Kabul on Saturday.
“When the first round of talks between Kabul [the Afghan government] andthe Taliban is completed, we are ready for the Hezb-e-Islami and theTaliban to start talks. The decision now rests with the Taliban.”
The Taliban, engaged in landmark direct talks with the Afghan governmentsince last Saturday, is yet to comment on the offer. Hekmatyar assertedthat the Afghan government was “weak and divided,” while the Taliban andHezb-e-Islami “share mutual beliefs, values, and ideology.”
Earlier this month, he said the US had realized that its presence inAfghanistan had resulted in nothing but financial and human losses.
“They [Americans] want a deal with the Taliban – implemented soon andwithout delay – and the Kabul government has also been told that theagreement will be implemented [even if they oppose it],” he said.
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Hekmatyar claimed the Afghan government was looking to delay the peaceprocess until November’s US presidential election.
On the role of other regional countries, he said India, due to its rivalrywith Pakistan, was dissatisfied with the peace push and had startedsupporting local militias to act as spoilers.
“China and Pakistan have a common and coordinated position on Afghanistan,not only do they support the peace process, rather they see it asbeneficial to their regional interests, especially if it leads to areduction in India’s presence in Afghanistan,” he said.
