15 December 2016

News Story: Kabul Reiterates Its Call To UN To Lift Sanctions Against Hekmatyar

by Sayed Sharif Amiri

The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Tuesday reiterated its call to the UN to lift sanctions against Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

"Our expectation is that they (UN) officials respond positively to our recommendations," said MoFA deputy spokesman Khairullah Azad.

Meanwhile, Jabbar Shalgarai, a senior member of the group has also advocated the world body to take steps to remove embargos against its leader.

"If these sanctions are not lifted, other opponent groups will also lose confidence in the peace process and this would indicate that the international community does not support peace in Afghanistan," said Shalgarai.

The request by the government of Afghanistan follows a peace accord signed by President Ashraf Ghani and Hizb-e-Islami founder Gulbuddin Hekmatyar late September, an accord that drew widespread reaction from the Afghan public and political elite.

Read the full story at TOLOnews