Former Afghan Mujahideen Leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Fears Fragmentation Of Pakistan In War With India: ‘After Palestine, The Tragedy Of Kashmir Has Been An Old And Deep Wound In The Body Of The Islamic Ummah’

During the short-lived Pakistan-India war on May 7-10, 2025, triggered by the April 22 jihadi terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, former mujahideen leader and chief of Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan Gulbuddin Hekmatyar wrote a long article in which he outlined the Islamist position on the interests of the Islamic Ummah in such situations.[1]

The article, titled “Our Country And The Threat Of Nuclear War In The Region,” was published in both Pashto and Dari. Hekmatyar argued that like Palestine, Kashmir is a “deep wound in the body of the Islamic Ummah.” He noted that Afghans protested during the 1971 war when the Bangla-speaking East Pakistan seceded from West Pakistan, as a result of an armed movement that overthrew, with Indian support, West Pakistani rule, establishing Bangladesh.

“The [1971] war in which Bangladesh separated from Pakistan was also one of these wars; India was practically involved in this war,” Hekmatyar said, adding: “The separation of Bangladesh and India’s interference in it were condemned. In Afghanistan too, demonstrations were held by the Muslim youth, and a major gathering took place in Zarnegar Park [in Kabul].”

In the article, Hekmatyar also stated his position on the Baloch organizations fighting for the independence of Balochistan from Pakistan. If the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) frees Balochistan, it will not unite with Iran or Afghanistan, he said, adding: “The reality is nothing but this: the fragmentation of Pakistan would result in the redrawing of the region’s entire map and would be the prelude to the fragmentation of Afghanistan.”

In case of Pakistan’s fragmentation, the former mujahideen leader expressed concern that “India will not stop at occupying Punjab, Sindh, and Kashmir. It will not present Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Kabul on a golden platter; rather, it will establish its own puppet government in Kabul.”

“The Separation Of Bangladesh [From Pakistan In The 1971 War] And India’s Interference In It Were Condemned – In Afghanistan Too, Demonstrations Were Held By The Muslim Youth, And A Major Gathering Took Place In Zarnegar Park [In Kabul]”

“Hekmatyar: Our Country And The Threat Of Nuclear War In The Region

“A bloody series of wars has once again begun between India and Pakistan. They have already experienced three major wars and many smaller ones. Most of these wars were related to Kashmir. Since the day the British divided it into two parts, Kashmir and its oppressed people have continuously fallen victim to bloody wars. After Palestine, the tragedy of Kashmir has been an old and deep wound in the body of the Islamic Ummah.

“But this war is significantly different from the previous ones in one respect: this time both parties have become nuclear powers. If the war is not contained and escalates to the use of nuclear weapons, then a nuclear war will have no victor, and the responsibility for it will fall on those who initiate it.

“The [1971] war in which Bangladesh separated from Pakistan was also one of these wars; India was practically involved in this war. Bangladesh [then known as East Pakistan] separated from Western Pakistan in 1971. This was India’s greatest victory and major achievement. In relation to this event, large and widespread demonstrations took place in many Islamic countries.

“The separation of Bangladesh and India’s interference in it were condemned. In Afghanistan too, demonstrations were held by the Muslim youth, and a major gathering took place in Zarnegar Park [in Kabul]. At that gathering, the martyr Engineer Habibur Rahman gave an impressive speech.

“I was deprived of participating in these protests and the gathering at the time because I was in prison. What I am writing today about Bangladesh is a reflection of the position of the Muslim youth nearly 54 years ago; it is not a new stance or statement.

“From the day of Bangladesh’s establishment [in 1971], when Sheikh Mujibur Rahman assumed power, and then up to the time when his political successor and daughter, Sheikh Hasina, fled and sought asylum in India – except for a short period – the entire authority of the country remained in the hands of this family, and their government remained under Delhi’s influence.

“Sheikh Hasina, his daughter, acquired the position of prime minister five times. Eventually, in 2024, once again an uprising began against this family’s government. After extensive bloodshed, the protesters managed to reach the prime minister’s palace. Hasina successfully fled and sought asylum in India. India attributed this youth uprising and the fall of the pro-India government to Pakistan. As a result, the competition between Pakistan and India entered a new and sensitive phase.”

Pakistani Military Ruler “General Pervez Musharraf’s Government Also Arrested Many Afghans Listed On America’s Blacklist [Of Terrorists] And Handed Them Over To The U.S. In Shackles – Nevertheless, America Still Gave Preference To India Over Pakistan”

“Although Pakistan greatly supported the United States in the occupation of Afghanistan – American forces entered through its land and air routes – from 2001 to 2014, all of America’s supplies were first delivered via Pakistan and then via Russia.

“[Pakistani military ruler] General Pervez Musharraf’s government also arrested many Afghans listed on America’s blacklist [of terrorists] and handed them over to the U.S. in shackles. Nevertheless, America still gave preference to India over Pakistan. This was because India was a strategic friend and partner of the U.S. against China, while Pakistan remained a partner of China.

“During America’s presence in Afghanistan, India had the opportunity to establish a wide-ranging intelligence presence and operations in Pakistan’s two provinces – Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – which feel deprived and have complaints against the central government.

“Although opposition to the central government in these provinces [of Pakistan – Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa] has occasionally appeared in various forms, during the 20-year U.S. occupation [of neighboring Afghanistan], this opposition took on a serious and armed form. Most researchers consider the main reason for this to be that the U.S. allowed India to conduct intelligence activities freely.

“Along with many other privileges, India was also given the special privilege that the [pre-Taliban Afghan intelligence agency] National Directorate of Security (NDS) would always be handed over to pro-India individuals, and India would use this agency to operate against Pakistan. A large portion of the budget for NDS intelligence activities against Pakistan was funded by India.”

“[Pakistan’s] Tense Political Situation, The Intensification And Spread Of Security Incidents And Armed Attacks, Economic Problems, And The Strained Relations Between Kabul And Islamabad Have Encouraged Delhi To Seize The Opportunity To Once Again Try Its Luck At Occupying The Remaining Part Of Kashmir [Currently Under Pakistani Control]”

“After the return of the Taliban for the second time [in August 2021] and especially following the events in Bangladesh in 2024 and the fall of the pro-India government, relations between Delhi and Islamabad became even more tense and intensified.

“Not only did the wave of bloody explosions, attacks, assassinations, major assaults on buses and trains, and the daily killing and injuring of dozens of civilians and government personnel continue in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but it also spread to other provinces of Pakistan.

“Pakistani officials attributed all of this to India’s intelligence agency RAW [Research & Analysis Wing] but avoided taking any direct action against India. After several years, this was the first time that an attack was carried out on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir [on April 22 in which 26 tourists, mostly Hindu males, were killed]. No one claimed responsibility for it.

“Although the attack was minor compared to the large-scale attacks that had occurred in Pakistan in the past few years, India’s reaction was extremely severe, swift, and intense – so much so that every analyst assumed that India had been fully prepared for such an attack in advance. They viewed the severity and spread of security incidents in Pakistan as the prelude and justification for this attack.

“The situation suggests that India is once again testing its full strength, aiming to seize the remaining part of Kashmir that is under Pakistan’s control. The country’s tense political situation, the intensification and spread of security incidents and armed attacks, economic problems, and the strained relations between Kabul and Islamabad have encouraged Delhi to seize the opportunity to once again try its luck at occupying the remaining part of Kashmir.”

“We Equally Condemn The Killing Of Tourists In Indian-Controlled Kashmir As We Condemn The Bombings In Mosques, Public Gatherings, And Attacks On Buses And Trains In Pakistan Or Any Other Country”

“During the writing of this article, and right at this moment, a complete and immediate ceasefire was announced [on May 9] at the level of the foreign ministers of both sides. This came after Pakistan executed extensive retaliatory operations, and India failed to prevent these operations. With the announcement of the ceasefire, many – like myself – were probably pleased, as they do not want to witness another bloody war in this region.

“They are distressed by the shedding of innocent and blameless human blood and only consider a war legitimate when it is for self-defense and against an aggressor, in which no harm is done to the life or property of any non-combatant. We equally condemn the killing of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir as we condemn the bombings in mosques, public gatherings, and attacks on buses and trains in Pakistan or any other country.

“We consider these actions the work of mercenary and aimless fighters – contract killers, uncultured, and without purpose – who can be hired and used for the dirty objectives of anyone. No true believer, no sincere Muslim, and no genuine freedom-seeking fighter would choose such a path. Just as we want justice in our own country, and an Islamic system and righteous government that reflects the will of the Afghan people, likewise, we support justice in all Islamic countries, including our neighbors, and condemn oppression.

“We regard it as a basic and unquestionable right of every human being to defend their rights, and as a religious obligation upon every Muslim not to commit oppression, not to submit to the oppression of others, to defend the oppressed, to stand in front of the oppressor and stop him, and to use only those methods in the eternal struggle between truth and falsehood that religion and faith have determined. We do not welcome insecurity and war in neighboring countries just as we do not want it in our own country.”

“We Express Our Sorrow For Those Who Were Happy About This War; Among Them Are Individuals And Media Outlets Who Once Danced And Rejoiced At The Soviet Union’s Invasion Of Afghanistan And Then Again At The American Invasion”

“This war showed that Delhi had miscalculated, as had all those parties who considered India to be superior and more powerful in every respect compared to Pakistan – especially those who, at the start of the war, celebrated with joy, applause, finger-pointing, incorrect commentary, false analysis, and deceitful propaganda in support of one side or the other. But everything turned out contrary to their expectations.

“The Pakistani army considers itself victorious in this war and celebrated its victory with widespread public demonstrations. It claims to have downed many Indian aircraft, and that it crippled India’s air defense system, including the S-400, to such a degree that many Pakistani aircraft were able to simultaneously carry out successful operations against key targets in dozens of cities and return unharmed.

“On the other side, India denies this claim and continues to threaten further ‘Sindoor Operations’ even after the ceasefire. Sindoor is the red mark Hindu girls apply on their foreheads after reaching puberty [sic., after marriage].[2]

“We express our sorrow for those who were happy about this war; among them are individuals and media outlets who once danced and rejoiced at the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan and then again at the American invasion [following 9/11 attacks] – and some of them supported one side or the other in this conflict without even realizing that the flames and smoke of this bloody war may reach war-torn Afghanistan today or tomorrow.”

“You Surely Know That When The British Left This Region, They Divided The Baloch People Into Three Parts (Afghanistan, Pakistan, And Iran) Precisely Because They Had Fought Against The British”; “They Did The Same To The Kashmiris, Dividing Them Into Two Parts, And Also To The Pashtuns – Drawing The Durand Line Between Them”

“We view human brotherhood and ethnic equality as religious principles. Parties and movements based on ethnicity or regionalism contradict these principles. Deprived ethnic groups have the right to struggle for their rights, and every Muslim is obligated to assist the oppressed. But this struggle must not be accompanied by slogans or strategies that cause hatred and hostility among fraternal ethnic groups and result in the division and fragmentation of nations and countries.

“Demand your right and struggle for its realization – but alongside the ranks of the nation, and with the slogan of unity and solidarity. A Muslim cannot – and his faith does not allow him to – support a party or movement that promotes slogans of separatism and fragmentation. Ethnic nationalist movements and slogans have been engineered by colonial powers in their colonies to fragment nations. Islam condemns ethnic nationalism, ethnic slogans, ethnic chauvinism, and any call toward it.

“The Quran says that the opposition to every Prophet came from those ignorant nations who told the Prophet: ‘We cannot leave the religion of our forefathers for you. What you are saying is new and unfamiliar, and we do not find it in the religion of our ancestors.’ Division of people on the basis of ethnicity and regionalism and preferring one group over another is religiously forbidden, intellectually unjust, inhumane, and harmful.

“Every purposeful movement and struggle must be founded on the principles of truth and falsehood, oppression and justice, good and evil—not on ethnic or regional differences. In Pakistan, the Baloch Liberation Movement is a movement calling for separation from Pakistan and the establishment of an independent Baloch state – not for uniting with another country.

“You surely know that when the British left this region, they divided the Baloch people into three parts (Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran) precisely because they had fought the British – just as they divided the Muslims of India into three parts: East Pakistan, West Pakistan, and the Muslims left behind in India. They did the same to Kashmiris, dividing them into two parts, and also to the Pashtuns – drawing the Durand Line between them. They did this both to take revenge on the Muslims and all the ethnic groups that fought them, and also to create permanent disputes and conflicts in the region.”

“It Would Be Foolish To Think That In The Event Of Baloch Separation From Pakistan Under The Leadership Of The Baloch Liberation Movement, They Would Unite With Afghanistan Or Iran… The Reality Is Nothing But This: The Fragmentation Of Pakistan Would Result In The Redrawing Of The Region’s Entire Map”

“When Britain launched its invasion of India, the country was under Muslim rule. For over seven centuries, Muslims had kept the country united and defended it against all invaders. The British understood that if they left without dividing it, power would return to the Muslims.

“Today, if an independent state is created in the name of the Baloch, it will lead to a redrawing of the entire regional map. It will also encourage Baloch populations in Iran and Afghanistan to join them. This situation would not be acceptable to Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Iran. The only country in the region that may perceive this situation to be in its favor is India.

“It would be foolish to think that in the event of Baloch separation from Pakistan under the leadership of the Baloch Liberation Movement, they would unite with Afghanistan or Iran, or that Afghans would be given the chance to build a Greater Afghanistan.

“The reality is nothing but this: the fragmentation of Pakistan would result in the redrawing of the region’s entire map and would be the prelude to the fragmentation of Afghanistan.”

“India Will Not Stop At Occupying Punjab, Sindh, And Kashmir – It Will Not Present Balochistan And Khyber Pakhtunkhwa To Kabul On A Golden Platter”

“India will not stop at occupying Punjab, Sindh, and Kashmir. It will not present Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Kabul on a golden platter; rather, it will establish its own puppet government in Kabul. If India cannot tolerate an independent and powerful Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, or Pakistan in its neighborhood, how will it ever accept an independent and powerful Afghanistan that ruled Delhi for centuries? Will they ever forget the rule of the Ghaznavids, Ghurids, and Abdalis, or the destruction of Somnath [Hindu temple in Gujarat, India] at their hands?

“As long as power in India remains in the hands of fundamentalist and extremist Hindu groups, neither will Indian minorities attain their basic human rights, nor will India tolerate an independent, free, and Islamic government in its neighborhood. Just as India was practically involved in the separation of Bangladesh, likewise in the 1980s it militarily and financially supported the Tamil Tigers [LTTE], an ethnic minority group.

“From 1987 to 1990, its forces had an active presence in Sri Lanka, supporting one side and opposing the other. During the jihad against the Soviet Union, India was the only country in the region that supported the Russians and communists and opposed the mujahideen.

“Everyone – whether Afghans or our neighbors – must realize this truth: Afghanistan today is in no condition to offer military or financial assistance to anyone. It is itself dependent on external aid. Its situation is such that if foreign aid organisations do not provide tents, it cannot even assist the returning refugees [expelled by Pakistan and Iran].”

“When The Time Came For The Mujahideen To Establish An Islamic Government, All Those Countries That Once Considered The Soviet Presence In Afghanistan A Serious Threat To Themselves And Had Supported The Mujahideen In Various Forms [During The 1980s] – These Very Countries Formed A United Front Against The Mujahideen”

“Whoever intends to take up the path of armed struggle must learn from the experiences of the Afghans. We defeated the communists and then the Soviet forces. The Soviets were forced to withdraw. This defeat and unsuccessful withdrawal led to the collapse of the drunken and arrogant Soviet empire.

“But when the time came for the Mujahideen to establish an Islamic government [in Afghanistan in early 1990s], all those countries that once considered the Soviet presence in Afghanistan a serious threat to themselves and had supported the mujahideen in various forms [during the 1980s] – these very countries formed a united front against the Mujahideen.

“Just as Washington and Moscow adopted a joint stance against the Mujahideen and set aside their rivalry, Riyadh, Tehran, and other rival countries did the same. The alliance of Jabal Al-Siraj against Hizb-e-Islami was also formed through the mediation and support of the intelligence agencies of these rival countries.

“We hope for the day to come when real justice and lasting peace will prevail in Afghanistan and throughout the entire region.

“Hekmatyar”