KABUL - The Hizb-e-Islami (HEI), Afghanistan's second largest militant group after the Taliban, has said that certain elements within the structure of the Afghan government are dealing with political power as their war trophy, an approach the party believes is aimed at sabotaging the peace process.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's group, Hizb-e-Islami, has been in an armed confrontation with the Afghan government and foreign forces for several years.
The statement comes a day after some Afghan political figures accused the party of trying to score political points in the talks in the shape of ministries, a claim dismissed as baseless by Amin Karim, a top negotiator for Hizb-e-Islami on Saturday.
He said that the allegations were part of the war propaganda against the group to damage the peace process.
Hizb-e-Islami negotiators have stressed that it has entered a peace dialogue in line with the law and without setting preconditions in a bid to seal a peace agreement and to motivate the Taliban factions to enter similar dialogue.‎
Preliminary talks with Hizb-e-Islami were apparently instigated seventeen months ago, however this is the first time that the party has entered face-to-face talks with the Afghan government.
In the past the Hizb-e-Islami and the Afghan government reached an agreement on a number of issues, but on Saturday, Karim, said that there have been some changes in the document signed with the government a month before.
"Specific elements inside the government consider political power as a war trophy. They are creating obstacles before the peace process and a stable Afghanistan," said Karim. He however said that they consider President Ashraf Ghani as the main side of the talks.
While the Hizb-e-Islami rejects rumors over the demands of the party for ministries, there has been speculation that the party has asked for some ministries to be allotted to Hizb-e-Islami.
"I consider these bitter comments as a collection of propaganda to disrupt the peace process. I reject that the Hizb-e-Islami has demanded the positions of ministries and is eyeing specific ministeries and I consider them as war propaganda against peace," he added.
It seems that still government and Hizb-e-Islami are disagreeing over a number of issues.
"There are differences in opinions. I hope that these differences will change from armed conflicts to political differences," said Esmail Qasemyar, a High Peace Council member.
"I assure you that a large number of the Mujahideen fighting in the Taliban's lines are main affiliates of Hizb-e-Islami. They are waiting for the deal between government and Hizb-e-Islami so as to take a specific and more accurate decision about them joining the peace process," Karimi added.
The complete drawdown of foreign troops from Afghanistan has been one of the key demands of Hizb-e-Islami in the past, but what response the government will give to the demand remains uncertain. (Tolonews)