I n a rather recent development, Afghan National

Unity Government (NUG) signed a 25-points

peace deal with Engineer Gulbuddin Hekmatyar,
leader Hezb-i-Islami (HIA). This agreement on one
hand has given the hopes of light at the end of the
tunnel, while on the other hand, it has also raised
concerns about the start of another era of discord in an
already deteriorated Afghan politics.
After the formation of Afghan National Unity
Government, it was soon realized that this government
backed by foreign powers could not gain much
confidence of the people. Hence, to start a dialogue
with all the opponents the national committee for
reconciliation was formed in May 2005 that was later
developed into Commission for the consolidation of
peace headed by Sebghatullah Mojaddedi.1 The
commission was given the task to bring the warring
groups especially Taliban and Hezb-i-Islami to one
table where they could talk their issues out and end
hostilities that led to civil wars in the past.2
In June 2010, a Loya Jirga was held at Kabul, attended
by 1600 dignitaries where the decision was taken to
establish an independent Afghan High Peace Council
(HPC) under the chairmanship of Burhan Uddin
Rabbani, but later this council was annexed to
Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program
(APRP).3
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a Pashtun, by being a
theologian and a visionary leader gathers his support
from the grassroot level not only from the Pashtun
majority of the country but also from different ethnic
groups. A recent opinion poll in Afghanistan endorses
the perception that his presence will certainly help in
bringing peace to Afghanistan.4 The authority yielded
by Hekmatyar in the Afghan society usually comes
from the charisma with which he inspires a devotion
in his followers through his excellent oratory and
writing skills.5 In 1975, he formed his own
organization with the name of Hezb-i-Islami6 in which
he has established well-defined hierarchical structures
and lines of authority. Being a master of guerilla
warfare, he keeps on reshuffling his officials and
commanders and keeps himself accessible to his
fighters that ensures loyalty in the ranks.
During the years of Soviet invasion, Hekmatyar
emerged as a capable and competent commander of
the fighters who repulsed the invasion with full force.
But unfortunately, after defeating USSR, a power
struggle between different groups started again which
led to numerous clashes in Afghanistan. In those
tumultuous times, Hekmatyar twice became the prime

1
Misbah Allah Abdul Baqi, Talks to Settle the Afghan Issue Prospects and Obstacles
http://studies.aljazeera.net/en/reports/2013/05/20135811747329630.html
2
Sajjad, Tazreena. Peace at all costs: reintegration and reconciliation in Afghanistan. 2010.
3
Misbah Allah Abdul Baqi, Talks to Settle the Afghan Issue Prospects and Obstacles
http://studies.aljazeera.net/en/reports/2013/05/20135811747329630.html
4
Hekmatyars presence in Kabul helpful for peace: poll, Pajwak News, last updated on April 29, 2017.
http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2017/04/29/hekmatyar%E2%80%99s-presence-kabul-helpful-peace-poll
5
Borhan Osman, Charismatic, Absolutist, Divisive: Hekmatyar and the impact of his return
https://www.Afghanistan-analysts.org/charismatic-absolutist-divisive-hekmatyar-and-the-impact-of-his-return/
6
Pakistan's Support of Afghan Islamists, 1975-79 http://countrystudies.us/Afghanistan/108.htm

[1]
minister of Afghanistan but both his terms lasted only
for one year each.
After Talibans take over, Hekmatyar left Afghanistan
and went underground. During the years of his
absence, while Hizb-e-Islami under his leadership
carried on with its armed resistance a number of HIA
associates joined the political process; the group thus
emerged as a political stakeholder as well.7 Due to the
fact that Hekmatyar is revered as an important leader
on both the fronts, Afghan Government has tried to
hold negotiations with him for last almost six years.
The negotiations with Hekmatyar first started in 2010,
but were stalled in the middle.8
The political section of HIA, headed by Abdul-Hadi
Arghandiwal, former commander, has been an active
party in the Afghan politics and have established
themselves as key players in the political arena.
Abdul-Hadi Arghandiwal also served as minister in
the Karzai government. Currently, Hezb-i-Islami
holds 35 seats in the parliament making them one of
the mainstream political parties. Here, it should also
be kept in mind that Hekmatyar is not used to this kind
of reconciliatory political environment with his fierce
and strong personality.
On September 29th 20169, after two years of
continuous negotiations10, a peace deal was signed
between Afghanistan High Peace Council (HPC), The
Government of Afghanistan and Hizb-e-islami11
hoping to ultimately bring all other warring factions to
the table as well. Hekmatyar while addressing the deal
signing ceremony through a video link said, "We
always should do our work in any situation
according to Islamic law. We started negotiations
with government after almost 90 percent of
foreign troops left the country"12. The deal
comprises of two chapters. Chapter one is about
introduction, contains four articles about the
commitment of both the parties towards Islam,
equality before the law, democracy and withdrawal of
foreign forces from Afghanistan.13
The second chapter, further subdivided into two
sections talks about the commitments of both the
parties. Section one enumerates the commitments of
government of Afghanistan. The commitments
include removal of sanctions imposed on HIA, its
leaders and members, inclusion of HIA in electoral
process, participation of HIA in the electoral reform
process, protection of HIA from judicial trials,
recruitment of eligible HIA members in the armed
forces, the return of HIA members who were
government officials to their respective departments,
return of refugees from camps in Pakistan and Iran
along with provision of land and other resources.14
The second section enumerates the commitments of
HIA towards the government of Afghanistan about
discontinuing war & violence, release of detainees,
pledge not to affiliate with any terrorist organization
and pledge to continue working as a political party in
mainstream politics.15
The other important clauses of the agreement deal
largely with the amalgamation of HIA fighters into the
mainstream Afghan Armed forces. The removal of
Hekmatyars name from the UN sanctioned list and
the release of HIA prisoners from Afghan jails are
other important issues.16
IMPLICATIONS
Return of former Afghan Mujahid and twice the Prime
Minister of the country also called by his opponents as

7
Thomas Ruttig, Bomb and Ballot: The many strands and tactics of Hezb-e Islami https://www.Afghanistan-
analysts.org/bomb-and-ballot-the-many-strands-and-tactics-of-hezb-e-islami/
8
Saeed Shah, Afghanistan: Peace talks with the Taliban's Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/2010/0211/Afghanistan-Peace-talks-with-the-Taliban-s-Gulbuddin-
Hekmatyar
9
Barnett Rubin, Hard Choices for Peace in Afghanistan, http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/hard-
choices-for-peace-in-Afghanistan
10
Afghanistan inks peace deal with Hekmatyar, https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/151800-Afghanistan-inks-
peace-deal-with-Hekmatyar
11
Annexure-1 (Translation of Afghan peace-deal)
http://thekabultimes.gov.af/index.php/opinions/politics/11934-full-text-of-agreement-between-goira-hezb-e-
islami-of-Afghanistan-led-by-gulbuddin-hekmatyar.html
12
http://www.tolonews.com/Afghanistan/ghani-hekmatyar-sign-peace-agreement
13
Ibid
14
Ibid
15
Ibid
16
Ibid

[2]
rocketyar and butcher of Kabul, with a message of
peace may be viewed with suspicion from some
internal and external quarters. But in a Pashtun
dominated Afghan society, still enjoying a great deal
of support from Afghans mainly Pashtuns, Hekmatyar
is a ray of hope for many. In present day Afghanistan
which is suffering from a severe leadership vacuum,
the entry of Hekmatyar can prove to be a blessing for
war-torn Afghanistan and may lead to an actual
Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process.
President Ashraf Ghani who is also Pashtun could not
earn the confidence of Afghan people since he is not
in touch with common people at grassroot level.
Contrastingly, as divisive as he is known to be, since
his return, he has been talking of establishing a think
tank to bring the disunited segments of government to
one table to steer the country in right direction.17 His
message of peace and unity is not only for the political
parties but it is also for the warring factions especially
Taliban to come to the negotiating table and give up
fighting which also hurts the poor and common
people.18 He has also urged political leaders to bring
their families to Afghanistan so that they have their
stakes inside the country.19
For the Afghan National Unity Government, a deal
with Hekmatyar in the current scenario, where it has
failed to consolidate the country means bringing the
greater masses of people to the governments side.20
His message that the fight that has killed numerous
innocent civilians is irreligious, will affect the views
of his supporters eventually delignating themselves
from the warring factions.
Current ground realities in Afghanistan show a rather
exuberant comeback of Taliban with a larger area
under their control as compared to 2001. With Taliban
gaining more power day by day it became essential for
Afghanistan to come up with some new initiatives.
Bringing in a leader like Hekmatyar to the center-
stage, who has to the credibility of sharing the
resistance increases the chances of bringing them to
negotiating table which the Afghan Government, even
with the help of Pakistan could not yet achieve.
Taliban, although have not readily accepted the
invitation from Hekmatyar but certain elements inside
Taliban like Mullah Rassoul group also supports
peace initiatives by HIA.21
With Afghanistans parliamentary and presidential
elections approaching in 2018 and 2019 respectively,
HIA has also clearly stated to participate in the
elections and support strong and effective candidates
in different constituencies.22 HIA already having 35
seats in the current parliament seems highly likely to
capture more seats than before with Hekmatyar at
center-stage.
On the down side, Hekmatyar, owing to his
ideological orientation, does not seem agreed with the
type and structure of government and calls on the
political parties to amend the constitution and shun the
parliamentary system which does not support the
concept of unity by saying that since it is not decreed
from God, it has the potential to be changed.23 He re-
affirmed that during his welcome speech and called
for resignation of one of the leaders of National Unity
Government for ensuring smooth administration.24
He, on various occasions has spoken for the
presidential type of government which he thinks is

17
Hamad Momin, Will there be peace for Afghanistan? https://www.islam21c.com/politics/will-there-be-
peace-for-Afghanistan/
18
Hekmatyar calls for peace in first public speech http://nation.com.pk/national/30-Apr-2017/hekmatyar-
calls-for-peace-in-first-public-speech
19
Hamid Shalizi http://www.reuters.com/article/us-Afghanistan-hekmatyar-taliban-idUSKBN1801UB
20
What does the return of warlord Hekmatyar mean for Afghanistan? http://www.dw.com/en/what-does-the-
return-of-warlord-hekmatyar-mean-for-Afghanistan/a-37429666
21
http://www.tolonews.com/Afghanistan/ghani-hekmatyar-sign-peace-agreement
22
Hezb-e Islami to Take Part in Upcoming Elections, Ariana News, last updated on June 08, 2017.
http://ariananews.af/hezb-e-islami-to-take-part-in-upcoming-elections/
23
Hamid Shalizi, Afghan former warlord Hekmatyar rallies supporters in Kabul
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-Afghanistan-hekmatyar-idUSKBN181115
24
Hekmatyar in Afghan presidential palace: Coalition government doesn't work, 1TVNews.af, last updated on
May 04, 2017. http://1tvnews.af/en/news/afghanistan/29190-hekmatyar-in-afghan-presidential-palace--
coalition-government-doesnt-work

[3]
viable for the situation in Afghanistan.25 Nonetheless,
he also affirmed his commitment to Afghan
constitution and called for a constitutional Loya Jirga
to change the system for bringing long term political
stability to Afghanistan.26
His recent appearance at Arg along with his wife and
daughter shows a change in his behavior and lesser
rigidity which has been welcomed with great zeal and
many anticipate that he has the right potential and
additional attributes of inclusiveness, to lead
Afghanistan in the right direction.27 On various
occasions he has also stressed the representation of
women in different spheres of life.28
At present, Hekmatyar has the potential to turn either
way. Either he can divide the already divided Afghan
society, or based on the level of support and authority
he yields in the traditional Afghan politics, he can act
as a unifying figure with a potential of having cordial
relations both with Pakistan and Iran two
neighboring countries of Afghanistan where in spite
of ups and downs he has enjoyed connections in policy
circles.
The 25-points deal between Hekmatyar and Afghan
National Unity Government has bright implications
for Pakistan as well. One of the clauses in the deal
talks about the return of thousands of Afghan refugees
living in refugee camps in Pakistan. It will definitely
lessen some of the difficulties of Pakistan regarding
refugees in the future.
Moreover, since Hekmatyar has good relations with
Pakistan, his return to Afghan politics may help
reduce the trust deficit, bring the two countries closer
and help ease tensions.29
As Hekmatyar calls for unity and peace amongst
various warring factions, government and political
parties, one can deduce that Hekmatyar will be able to
bring stabilization and peace to his country, which in
turn would mean peace for neighboring Pakistan as
well.
Indias presence in Afghanistan, during recent years
has been an irritant for Pakistan. Hekmatyars
emergence with a new posture in Afghan political
scene, when Afghanistan already has better relations
with India, one can hope that, the gap between
Pakistan-India relations could also be bridged.
European Union and Norway have openly supported
the deal and has termed it a welcoming initiative.30
The ambassador of European Union also met
Hikmatyar at his residence in Kabul.
USA accepted all the three demands of HIA (removal
of names from UN Sanctions list,31 release of
prisoners, political impunity) except withdrawal of
foreign forces. As indicated by a statement issued by
US embassy Kabul, USA welcomed the peace
agreement between Afghan National Unity
Government and Hekmatyars HIA saying that US
supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace
process where armed groups stop violence breaking
their ties with international terrorist groups and accept
Afghan constitution.32 While United States real
intentions are questioned by many observers. A
section of the analysts express hope that it may also

25
Hekmatyar in Afghan presidential palace: Coalition government doesn't work
http://1tvnews.af/en/news/Afghanistan/29190-hekmatyar-in-Afghan-presidential-palace--coalition-government-
doesnt-work
26
Hekmatyar in Afghan presidential palace: Coalition government doesn't work, 1TVNews.af, last updated on
May 04, 2017. http://1tvnews.af/en/news/afghanistan/29190-hekmatyar-in-afghan-presidential-palace--
coalition-government-doesnt-work
27
Waheed Massoud, What does Afghan warlord Hekmatyar's return mean? http://www.bbc.com/news/world-
asia-39819123
28
Plight of women: Hekmatyars daughter speaks up https://tribune.com.pk/story/351911/plight-of-women-
hekmatyars-daughter-speaks-up/
29
Humera Iqbal, Quest for peace in Afghanistan, http://www.irs.org.pk/focus-May-14.pdf
30
Shadi Khan Saif, Hekmatyar returns to Kabul under EU-backed deal Anadolu Agency, last updated on May
04, 2017. http://mobil.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/hekmatyar-returns-to-kabul-under-eu-backed-deal/811065
31
Fazal Mazhary, Moving Out of Shamshatu: Hezb-e Islamis refugee followers between hope of return and
doubts about the peace deal, Afghanistan Analysts Network, published on April 14, 2017.
file:///C:/Users/Mairaj/Downloads/moving-out-of-shamshatu-hezb-e-islamis-refugee-followers-between-hope-
of-return-and-doubts-about-the-peace-deal.pdf
32
U.S. Embassy Kabul Statement on the Return of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar https://af.usembassy.gov/u-s-
embassy-kabul-statement-return-gulbuddin-hekmatyar/

[4]
use Hekmatyars demand of foreign forces to leave
Afghanistan, as a face saving exit strategy.
At this moment in time, although, it is hard to deduce
what implications Hekmatyars return might have for
the other regional countries but all the regional
countries especially India are trying to gauge the
impact his return might have on their relations with
Afghanistan. Recent meeting of Hekmatyar with
Indian ambassador in Afghanistan, Manpreet Vohra,
is an example of such consciousness.33 India, might
also be hoping for Hekmatyar to play a role in
Kulbhushan Jadavs case34, based on his relations with
Pakistan, but, from Pakistans standpoint, it seems
highly unlikely.
Hekmatyars resurfacing causes a concern for India
because of its past not so cordial relations with
Hekmatyars government but with a changed posture,
Hekmatyar becoming a bit moderate in his vision, he
might seem less obstinate towards India. In his recent
meeting with Indian ambassador, he thanked India for
initiating mega projects like Salma dam in
Afghanistan.
Here, it should also be kept in mind that in a complex
situation like Afghanistans, the possibilities of
sabotaging the reconciliatory process from a number
of internal and external factors cannot entirely be ruled
out.
CONCLUSION
Hekmatyars return to Afghanistans political grounds
is a significant factor but it is too early to conclude
whether it will bring positive or negative changes in
the stalemate like situation in Afghanistan. Although
certain factions of Taliban have expressed their
willingness to join Hekmatyars initiative in peace
process but only time will decide whether Taliban
could be brought to the table or not. The real effect of
Hekmatyars return largely depends on various
internal and external factors. For example, against the
demand of removing names of HIA members from the
blacklists, United Nations has removed the name of
Hikmatyar from the list, yet two names, Engineer
Abdul Sabur and Abdullah Nawbahar of HIA are still
present on the black List. Of the 488 prisoners in Jails
in Afghanistan, some still are awaiting to be
released.35 Hence, a greater and effort is needed to
keep Hekmatyar on board to reap the benefits of his
return to a society majority of which, still revers him
as their leader. Moreover, it also depends on the
Hekmatyars resolve to support the current
constitution. Given that, one can hope for a better
future for Afghanistan with all stakeholders on board.

Prepared by IPS Task Force | For queries: Mairaj-ul-Hamid, Research Coordinator, mairaj@ips.net.pk | www.ips.org.pk

33
Charu Sudan Kasturi, India sups with an old foe Talks with Afghan warlord signal shift
https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170520/jsp/frontpage/story_152632.jsp
34
MK Bhadrakumar, Indian envoys meeting with Afghan warlord could have positive impact on the kulbhushan
Jadhav case, https://scroll.in/article/838232/indian-envoys-meeting-with-Afghan-warlord-could-have-positive-
impact-on-the-kulbhushan-jadhav-case
35
Fazal Mazhary, Moving Out of Shamshatu: Hezb-e Islamis refugee followers between hope of return and
doubts about the peace deal, Afghanistan Analysts Network, published on April 14, 2017.
file:///C:/Users/Mairaj/Downloads/moving-out-of-shamshatu-hezb-e-islamis-refugee-followers-between-hope-
of-return-and-doubts-about-the-peace-deal.pdf

[5]