Kabul Inhabitants Have Contradictory Views over Peace Deal With Hekmatyar

Residents in the capital, Kabul have different views over signing the peace agreement between the government and Hezb-e Islami party-led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar; Some welcome the agreement and some are against it.

“Hekmatyar was not a good figure and dealing with him is a betrayal to the Afghan nations and their rights,” said Baes, Kabul resident.

“Gulbuddin Hekmatyar cannot be effective in the current situation, he has already marginalized,” said Abdullah, one of Kabul inhabitants.

However, a number of other residents supports the peace agreement and consider the joining of Hekmatyar to peace process in interest of the government and the nation.

“Hekmatyar is a good person and he will be valuable to be in our side,” said Rahmatullah, Kabul resident.

This comes as the global institutions express optimism over Afghan government’s agreement with Hekmatyar party.

The Afghan government signed a draft peace deal on Thursday with a small insurgent faction led by a warlord who has been designated a “global terrorist” by the United States.

The faction, Hezb-i-Islami, whose name means Islamic Party, agreed to cease hostilities in exchange for government recognition of the group and support for the removal of United Nations and American sanctions against its contentious leader, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, according to the draft agreement.

Hezb-i-Islami split after the Afghan government was established, with a political wing that disassociated itself from the insurgency.

Many leading figures in that wing joined the government, and several were prominent during the presidency of Hamid Karzai.

Few of them have explicitly repudiated Mr. Hekmatyar’s leadership of the party, and some were present at the signing of the draft agreement on Thursday.