Former Afghanistan Prime Minister and chief of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) celebration Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, whose fighters killed hundreds in Kabul throughout the bloody civil struggle of the Nineties, has remained a divisive determine since his return from exile in 2016. Hekmatyar, 72, has supported dialogue and elections to resolve the following Afghan authorities and can also be collaborating in discussions with Taliban leaders presently. He has deep and well-established hyperlinks with Pakistan’s intelligence businesses, which make him an important participant.
In an unique tell-all with CNN-News18, the veteran political chief elaborates his function within the formation of the present regime underneath Taliban, Pakistan and China’s makes an attempt to affect selections and the aftereffects of a 20-year-long struggle on his nation.
You are one of many oldest faces of Afghanistan’s battle. Afghanistan is as soon as once more at an vital juncture in its historical past. How do you view it as a veteran?
We have witnessed three consecutive superpowers invade Afghanistan previously century – the British, the Soviet Union and the United States of America. All of them confronted grave fates on this nation. Protracted wars and unparalleled resistance from courageous freedom fighters had been central causes to the defeat of invading forces. They all entered Afghanistan on the peak of their energy but they failed to realize any of their strategic targets and needed to withdraw with their heads hanging in disgrace. The geostrategic significance of Afghanistan has been boosted by the eventual defeat of the United States within the twenty-year-long intractable struggle. Afghanistan has now become a playground of regional and world rivalries. Though the occupation of Afghanistan was a lethal and harmful affair for Afghans, it had expensive penalties for the United States and its allies. Those who see this defeat of the United States as the beginning of their decline wouldn’t be exaggerating or imaging it.
You are speaking to the Taliban, to Hamid Karzai and to Abdullah Abdullah. What form and type do you suppose will the brand new authorities take?
The floor realities dictate that the incoming Afghan authorities can be underneath the auspices of the Taliban. Although the Taliban have reiterated that they don’t plan on reinstating the Emirate nor monopolize on energy, they’re but to start out formal negotiations with political events and elites. We have to attend on the Taliban to reach at an inside consensus with reference to their stance and proposed construction for the approaching political order. Such a plan can then be forwarded to different stakeholders by way of the formal and closing negotiations.
You have been the Prime Minister of Afghanistan earlier than. What function do you see for your self within the new administration when it’s fashioned?
I’ve completed most of my life targets. I’m glad with and grateful to Almighty Allah for the withdrawal of NATO troops, the top of the battle, the overthrow of the corrupt and warmongering puppet regime and the dissolution of the facility block that aimed toward weakening our nationwide unity. These are all achievements I’m prepared to be content material with. I’m prepared to unconditionally help the Taliban in consolidating the safety/regulation and order sector in addition to the formation of a centralized authorities. Our help isn’t conditional with any power-sharing.
Pakistan is taken into account by most international locations on the planet, particularly India, to be a secure haven for terrorism and extremism. What function can Afghanistan play in eradicating Pakistan’s unfavourable mindset and affect?
I consider that everybody has understood the truth that insecurity, battle and the presence of terrorist outfits or states are to the detriment of all. Pakistan is second solely to Afghanistan in how a lot it has been affected on account of all these conflicts. Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, labelled Pakistan’s help of the US invasion of Afghanistan as a mistake that he wouldn’t repeat. He additionally said that their solely expectation from Afghanistan is that India not use its soil towards Pakistan’s pursuits. Future governments of Afghanistan ought to be non-aligned and may attempt to stop Afghanistan from turning into a web site for political, intelligence, army and financial rivalries. Previous experiences have proven that each time Kabul has aligned with a regional or world rival, it has at all times led to battle. Past alignments with the US and Soviet Union have gone on to show that time, a bloody historical past we must always diligently keep away from.
What is your angle in the direction of China? Will you help Islamic fighters in East Turkestan if you’re in energy?
We are in dire want of safety and growth to compensate for the forty-year-old battle in Afghanistan. We have to heal from our wounds earlier than we are able to take into consideration different points particularly these in regards to the world past our borders.
To get worldwide recognition all world international locations are saying that Afghanistan ought to have a broad-based govt. How do you see that occuring?
No overseas state ought to give itself the proper to threaten, pressurize or demand the imposition of overseas needs on the Afghan folks. We see single-party governments predominately throughout the globe. From the US to Russia, China and all of Europe, even a few of our neighbours, there are not any coalition governments primarily based on power-sharing agreements between political and ethnic entities. Why ought to Afghanistan be an exception to the rule and be demanded to type a broad-based authorities? Let Afghans resolve their destiny and future themselves, freed from overseas pressures and involvement. Such stress and involvement haven’t produced constructive outcomes previously and wouldn’t achieve this sooner or later. A greater various to the time period broad-based can be the utilization of the time period “government approved by the majority of the populace”. Rather than insist on a coalition and power-sharing preparations, weight ought to be given to free and clear elections. It is pertinent that the world acknowledges any authorities fashioned to an understanding amongst Afghans. Tactics of stress and calls for ought to be averted.
The US and its allies, throughout its occupation of Afghanistan, for the previous 20 years centralized all authority right into a authorities it acknowledged that was in fact run by a small ethnic minority. Five ministries and 600 generals had been handed to 1 district of the nation. No state protested this monopoly of energy by one ethnic group that was allied with the West or demanded a broad-based authorities. No one seen the absence of the preferred political events from such a authorities.
How do you understand the style during which the Americans have withdrawn from Afghanistan?
The method of the overseas withdrawal was appalling and opposite to all humanitarian requirements. It was coupled with savagery, bloodshed and destruction. American troops broken the tools and amenities of the airport past restore. They evacuated bases, after full destruction of apparatus and amenities, within the useless of the evening and with none discover to the Afghan authorities. The final days of their presence in Afghanistan had been tainted with lots of of deaths, accidents, destruction and devastation. In the dual bomb blasts close to the Kabul airport that killed 13 American troopers, the US army reacted savagely and vindictively. They brutally and indiscriminately opened fireplace on widespread civilians who had been camped close to the airport making an attempt to fly out and search refuge in overseas international locations, the casualties of which had been greater than 100 useless and greater than 2 hundred injured. We can say that their departure was full of vengefulness and hatred in the direction of Afghans – each buddies and foe.
Do you need to be and can you be a part of a future authorities in Afghanistan?
The construction and composition of the federal government primarily based on the circumstances of the nation and its nationwide pursuits are selections that the Taliban must make. We hope that they’re aware of all these elements whereas taking the mandatory selections.
Why achieve this many Afghan residents need to depart the nation? Why is there such desperation to depart?
I can state with confidence that this exodus was surprising. It was a results of dangerous insurance policies and hostile intentions by intelligence networks making an attempt to defame the Taliban. The intention was to make use of this propaganda to point out the unwillingness of the residents of Kabul to dwell underneath the Taliban rule. It was aimed toward exhibiting Afghan desperation to flee the nation and discover refuge elsewhere. The staged nature of the crowds on the airport and runways, the handy arrange of cameras and the broadcasting of scenes of individuals clinging to the planes and falling to their deaths had been all meant to discredit the Taliban. The United States managed to fabricate this actuality by asserting to the nation that every one who needed to flee the nation might come to the airport and can be allowed to board planes even with out journey paperwork. How might which have led to any completely different final result? If such an announcement is made even in Delhi, would we not see a bigger crowd gathering exterior their airport and be witness to such horrendous scenes?
What sort of a society do you need to see in Afghanistan? What is your imaginative and prescient for the nation as you will have been a veteran of Afghanistan’s many struggles?
A free, unbiased, non-aligned, war-free Afghanistan that has a authorities that’s consultant of our Muslim and nationwide values. Such is the Afghanistan the vast majority of our devoted nation needs.
What would be the function of girls in new Afghanistan? Can they work, examine and be a part of the federal government?
Women in an Islamic Afghanistan will get pleasure from all their inalienable human and Islamic rights. They shall really feel extra valued than girls of another nation for the reason that rights and privileges given to girls in Islam are way more progressive and equal in comparison with all different faculties of thought and techniques. The proper of girls to work and get educated isn’t solely absolutely assured in Islam with out discrimination however they at occasions have extra privilege than males. No one has the proper to deprive girls of those inalienable and God-given rights.
Internationally now it’s being seen that the Taliban is the same as Pakistan. Pakistan performed a serious function within the battle of the Taliban. India has its personal fears about Pakistan and the Taliban. How do you see these fears?
It is as much as the Taliban to supply a transparent and convincing response to this propaganda by exhibiting their independence and never counting on any nation, close to or far. India as a substitute of expressing fears and purporting propaganda relating to its rival Pakistan ought to select a extra constructive path. It ought to rethink its failed insurance policies relating to Afghanistan and make up for its historic blunders of supporting teams affiliated with the 2 occupiers (the Soviet Union and the United States of America).
Taliban management has repeatedly mentioned that they won’t permit their soil for use towards any nation. Do you suppose they are going to stay dedicated and won’t intervene within the Kashmir concern which Pakistan is making an attempt to resolve by way of terror actions?
Taliban should stay dedicated to their pledge of not permitting Afghan soil for use towards any nations pursuits. Afghans don’t want the Kashmir battle exported to Afghanistan. Neither do they need the Indian and Chinese border disputes, the problem of Tibet nor the rivalries regarding Gawadar rattling or Chahbahar port to be exported to Afghanistan.
I might additionally like to emphasise that Afghanistan’s soil can be utilized towards its neighbours extra successfully than it may be towards different non-neighbouring nations. India shouldn’t have such apprehensions. If their apprehensions come up from the refuge they’ve given to the opposition then they need to merely chorus from giving such refuge. India by offering political asylum to the opposition of the incoming Afghan authorities and by giving them a platform to conduct actions towards the federal government, can be forcing the Taliban to behave in variety.
What function would you like India to play in new Afghanistan?
I want to see India play a constructive and constructive function in Afghanistan, opposite to their function previously 4 many years. It selected to help the invasion and occupation of each the Soviet Union and the United States of America as a substitute of supporting the Afghan trigger for freedom. It also needs to chorus from supporting puppet regimes of overseas occupiers.
There is concern around the globe that Afghanistan will as soon as once more change into a base for terrorism. Do you agree?
Afghanistan has by no means been a haven for overseas terrorists nor will or not it’s one now. The idea of terrorism is overseas to Afghanistan, it’s an imported phenomenon attributable to overseas invasions. The finish of the overseas occupation will spell the top of terrorism within the nation. We have been victims of state terrorism. Terrorism is orchestrated by intelligence networks in service of the occupiers.
Afghanistan had lots of and hundreds of Hindus and Sikhs however solely a handful stay now. What is the message from that about inclusivity and acceptance of different religions?
All refugees, whose numbers exceed six million, and all residents who’ve needed to flee Afghanistan as a result of struggle and insecurity have a declare to this land and may return to it. The incoming authorities has a duty in the direction of guaranteeing their security. We will at all times stand for his or her inalienable rights.
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