 |
| Gulbuddin Hekmatyar |
By Anisa Shaheed
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Hizb-e-Islami members have so far refused to hand over their weapons, which has in turn sparked concern among MPs.
This comes after Hekmatyar and his men officially returned to Afghanistan early this month after the group’s leader sealed a peace deal with government last year.
Despite Hizb-e-Islami having assured the nation that their armed men will not turn their weapons on government, MPs on Wednesday raised the issue and voiced their concerns.
“First it is very dangerous to move our forces towards a factional force, because it politicizes our army and it further weakens our army,” said MP Nahid Farid.
“The government must be cautious about the release of the prisonors,” said MP Saleh Mohammad Registani.
Meanwhile, a Hizb-e-Islami spokesman Qariburrahman Saeed said on Wednesday that there is no solid guarantee for the safety of these fighters and that they need to be armed for their own safety. However he did not give details about the exact number of fighters under the group’s command.
“They (Hizb-e-Islami fighters) were told to keep their weapons, but avoid fighting against government, they need these weapons for their own safety, because no one can guarantee their security,” said Saeed.
Read the full story at TOLOnews