Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) chief Gulbadeen Hekmatyar said on Tuesday that he was willing to talk to the United States to resolve the Afghan conflict.
In a press statement issued by Norway-based HIA spokesman Ustad Qareebur Rehman Saeed, Hekmatyar states that the HIA’s aim was to establish contact with all governments concerned, especially the US, to explore ways to achieve “honourable peace, a peace that would restore the dignity of the Afghan people, a peace that would bring equality and justice to all Afghans, men and women alike, a peace regardless of ethnicity and sectarian affiliation”.
He said that in view of “the destructive war in our country, a struggle that has all the hallmarks of a war of attrition and could prolong the Afghan people’s tragedy for decades into the future, the Hezb-e-Islami of Afghanistan calls upon all involved parties to search for ways to bring peace to the country”.
This is the HIA chief’s first peace proposal since unsuccessful talks with the Afghan government in March, 2010 via a five-member delegation. During this period, the Afghan government has also formed a 68-member reconciliation commission headed by former president Professor Burhanud Din Rabbani, whereas the US is also engaged in efforts to bring Taliban militants to the dialogue table.
Hekmatyar demanded in the statement the removal of foreign forces from Afghanistan within six months, starting July, 2011, and that within this time the foreign forces were to leave the cities and gather in their military bases for departure. He stated that within this period, security was to be completely handed over to the Afghan National Army, police, and the foreign forces must not have the right to engage in military operations.
Hekmatyar presents proposal for peace
