Hekmatyar urges ‘responsible’ withdrawal and interim govt

Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar said Saturday that the current political system and Afghan National Security and Defense Forces have to be preserved.

Hekmatyar stated that the United States has to do a “responsible” withdrawal and pave the way for the establishment of a transitional government in order to end the current crisis in Afghanistan.

“The foreign forces have to leave Afghanistan in accordance with their commitments and they have to leave when there is no longer any war or insecurity,” he said.

Hekmatyar said the Afghan peace process must not be terminated and called on the Taliban to reach a conditional agreement on a ceasefire.

“The violation of the agreement by the US should not result in the Taliban suspending negotiations with the Afghans, and the Taliban should agree to a conditional ceasefire,” he stated.

This comes after US President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday announced that a full withdrawal of troops would start from May 1 and end by September 11 – the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the United States.

The Taliban did not however welcome the decision and said on Thursday the US was in breach of its agreement with the group, signed in February last year that called for a full withdrawal by May 1.