Jirga can steer country out of crisis: Hekmatyar

KABUL (Pajhwok): Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) leader Gulbadin Hekmatyar has stressed the need for a grand national council with clear support from the masses to take the country out of the current political crisis.

Hekmatyar believed the implementation of the caretaker government’s strategy for reconciliation with its opponents was weak and difficult to enforce.

He slammed US threats to Afghanistan as unrealistic, urging the Afghans to prevent another proxy war in their country.

Need for grand council

In his Friday’s sermon, Hekmatyar underlined the need for an inclusive and clear strategy to steer the country out of the existing crisis. He asked the incumbent government to take steps in this regard and eradicate elements that caused war and conflict.

He noted response from the opposition to the Commission for Reconciliation’s offers had been lukewarm. Some perceived the commission as a tool to suppress dissidents, he claimed.

“Following the Ankara meeting, the Islamic Emirate’s response has been negative. It has ruled out the possibility of talks with rivals. The Islamic Emirate insists the current government is inclusive and enjoys full support of the people. Those who offered reconciliation have also not appreciated it and their response is negative. It seems an elected jirga was being formed,” he commented.

Hekmatyar said: “This type of jirga is the desire of some individuals in the Islamic Emirate, not in the armed opponents or the people. Elected jirgas have never resolved any crisis in Afghanistan. They have largely remained unsuccessful.”

At this critical state, he opined, Afghanistan needed a grand council that could foil the nefarious designs of the enemy and take decisions with full support from the masses.

Hekmatyar thought negotiations could be fruitful when all three sides (the caretaker government, peace-seeking protesters and the armed opposition) agree and promise to end conflict and put their plans on the table.

The armed opposition was not united and they ruled Afghanistan with the power of foreigners. They still insisted on conflict because they did not have a unified stance and plan, he explained.

The HIA chief said: “We call on patriotic Afghans to come up with a new constructive approach instead of failed experiences to resolve issues through peaceful and honest negotiations.”

Afghanistan poses no threat to US

He said US claims of a possible attack from Afghanistan and its tone were getting louder. But the reality was that neither before nor currently the US faced any threat from Afghanistan, he maintained.

The US has warned of taking immediate military action in case of any threat to its security from Al-Qaeda or Islamic State in Afghanistan.

“Every Afghan knows that Al-Qaeda and IS do not have a presence in Afghanistan that threatens the US or any other country in the region. We see nothing but explosions in mosques and less than a dozen rockets fired at a neighbour that could not even cross the Amu river. All this shows the US (claims of) threats are baseless,” he remarked.

Hekmatyar continued the US had no clear plan to resolve Afghanistan’s problems. There seems to be no alternative to the past repeating itself.

In an interview with Azadi Radio, the US deputy secretary of state said his country did not support armed resistance in Afghanistan.

Preventing another proxy war

“Following the situation in the region, statements and actions from some parties, it seems we may face a repeat if the 2001 situation. Some groups are waiting for it.”

The HIA head stressed the Afghans must prevent another proxy war taking place and not to allow the country to be part of such conflict.

He said the caretaker government shouldered a greater responsibility than anyone else to help the country out of the present situation, because it had the authority to make decisions.

The incumbent administration must come up with a plan acceptable to all Afghans and help resolve the crisis immediately and permanently.

nh/sa/mud