Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hezb-e-Islami, has described as strange the call by Russia, China, Iran, and Pakistan urging the Taliban to form an inclusive government.
He wrote that Moscow accepted the Taliban’s ambassador, raised their flag over the embassy, and is now demanding an inclusive government, which he interprets as a denial of recognition.
Hekmatyar further noted that senior Russian officials are now heard expressing regret over their decision: “Moscow did not achieve what it had hoped for from recognising the Taliban. What does this mean? Did they expect that other countries would follow them in recognizing the Taliban? Or was their recognition conditional on certain requirements that were not met, leading to their regret?”
He added that the idea of an inclusive government essentially meant that foreigners would set up a government similar to the Bonn process, distributing ministries among themselves and granting more than half to a small pro-foreign group.
Hekmatyar urged foreign powers to let Afghans decide their own destiny and instead focus on fair, transparent, and non-interfered elections: “Without elections, an inclusive government cannot be established.”
He also stressed that governments based on force — whether tribal, partisan, ethnic, or racial — cannot last, as the people will not accept a regime imposed by force.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, after several delays, a meeting on Afghanistan involving a number of Afghan politicians, former jihad leaders, and figures introduced by them is scheduled to begin today in Islamabad. The gathering will take place over two days, on September 29 and 30.
A total of 35 Afghan political figures and 15 foreign diplomats and individuals involved in Afghan affairs have been invited to the meeting.
