KABUL - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has dispatched a formal dossier to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to remove all sanctions and the name of Gulbadin Hekmatyar, head of the Hizb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA), from the council’s blacklist, an official said on Monday.
Tawab Ghorzang, the National Security Council (NSC) spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News they had worked hard to prepare all documents and also met permanent and non-permanent members of the UNSC and discussed with them the issue of removing Hekmatyar’s name from the blacklist.
He said the documentation to seek removal of HIA leader’s name the blacklist had been prepared by the NSC.
The documents were sent to the MOFA and finally the ministry through Afghanistan’s representative in the UN shared the dossier with the UNSC’s sanctions committee.
Asked when Hekmatyar’s name was expected to be dropped from the list, Ghorzang said it was up to the sanctions committee.
He said the Afghan government hoped all sanctions on HIA leadership could be lifted soon. According to him, the removal would be a major development towards establishment of durable peace and stability in the country.
Ghorzang said UNSC committee members had pledged complete cooperation to the Afghan government’s request for lifting all sanctions against Hekmatyar, adding the request would be deeply scrutinised and would be approved soon.
About the appearance of Hekmatyar in public after spending decades in hiding, Ghorzang said there was still time to answer the question.
But some sources say Hekmatyar is all set to appear in public soon. The sources say the HIA head would appear for the first time in eastern Nangarhar province and would later come to capital Kabul.
Earlier, presidential advisor Akram Khpalwak visited Nangarhar and talked with local officials about the residence and security of Hekmatyar.
Few months earlier, the Afghan government and the HIA struck a historic peace agreement after months of talks. In a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace, President Ashraf Ghani and HIA head Hekmatyar signed the historic peace agreement.
Hekmatyar also addressed the gathering attended by a large number or people. The agreement was welcomed country-wide and political leaders, civil societies, regional countries and global community asked the Taliban to follow HIA model of peace negotiations and end decade of conflict in the war-torn country. (Pajhwok)