Afghanistan inks peace deal with 'Butcher of Kabul'

Afghan National Security Adviser, Hanif Atmar shakes hands with Amin Karim,(R), representative of Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar after signing a peace agreement in Kabul. Pic/AP

Kabul: Afghanistan yesterday signed a peace agreement with notorious warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, paving the way for him to make a political comeback after years in hiding and despite a history of war crimes.

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar

Hekmatyar, who heads the now largely dormant Hezb-i-Islami militant group, is the latest in a series of controversial figures that Kabul has sought to reintegrate in the post-Taliban era.

The deal with Afghanistan's second-biggest militant group marks a symbolic victory for President Ashraf Ghani, who has struggled to revive peace talks with the more powerful Taliban. A Hezb-i-Islami delegation shook hands with members of the High Peace Council (HPC), responsible for reconciliation efforts with militants, and the national security adviser at an official ceremony in Kabul.

"This agreement is signed after two years of negotiations between the High Peace Council, the leadership of the Afghan Government and the Hizb-e-Islami," deputy HPC chief Habiba Sorabi said at the ceremony.

The agreement will come into force when it is formally signed by President Ashraf Ghani and Hekmatyar, the government has said, though no date has been set.

The deal paves the way for Hekmatyar to make a comeback in mainstream politics in a pattern established by other warlords, such as General Abdul Rashid Dostum, currently the country's first VP.