June 24, 2019
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Afghanistan’s former PM, has acknowledged Pakistan’s role in the Afghan Peace Process, while talking to media outlets in Bhurban near Pakistan’s capital city of Islamabad.
“Pakistan is a very important country and Islamabad could play a key role in bringing peace in Afghanistan and now they are doing it,” Hekmatyar told Turkey’s Anadolu News Agency.
Hekmatyar, along with dozens of other Afghan delegates, was in Islamabad for an Afghan peace conference held in Bhurban on Saturday.
During the peace conference, titled “Lahore Process”, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi stated that Islamabad was ‘committed in its efforts to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan’.
“For far too long, the vicious circle of mistrust, often fed into by our common enemies, has affected our relationship. The blame-game has not helped either of us,” Qureshi said in his speech. He further said that “It is indispensable to move away from this negative paradigm. It is incumbent upon the leadership of the two countries to take practical steps to build mutual trust and confidence.”
On the other hand, the Afghan delegates, especially Hekmatyar, also praised Pakistan’s efforts for peace in Afghanistan. “I praised Pakistan’s sincere efforts and I am sure they will continue its help to bring peace in our country. The Americans are also praising Pakistan’s role in bringing Taliban on the negotiating table” Hekmatyar said.
It was Hekmatyar’s first visit to Islamabad since his deal with the Kabul government in 2016 which ended his 20-year-long exile and resulted in his return to Afghanistan.
“We welcome every country and individual who is taking any step for peace in Afghanistan. War always ends with peace and now war in our country will also end with peace,” Hekmatyar further said.
Hekmatyar also demanded a complete withdrawal of the US troops from his country, arguing that the Afghans should be allowed to decide on their own future. He further argued that all stakeholders in Afghanistan should come together to ensure free and fair elections in the country.
Hekmatyar also advised the Kabul government not to allow the Afghan soil to be used for conflict in other countries. “The government should not interfere in conflict of others. They should not use one group against another,” he concluded.
Hekmatyar’s interview courtesy Anadolu News Agency.
