Afghanistan formally requests UN to remove sanctions against Hezb-e-Islami leaders

Kabul [Afghanistan]: The Afghan government has formally sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to remove the leaders of Hezb-e-Islami from its sanctions list.

National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Tawab Ghorzang said that the formal letter by the Afghan government was sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs adding that the letter was sent to the sanctions committee of the Security Council, reports Khaama Press.

The move comes as part of one of the promises made by President Ashraf Ghani while signing a draft peace agreement with the armed group Hezb-e-Islami led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

The peace agreement was signed around two months ago after intense negotiations.

The Afghan officials signed the agreement with optimisms that the accord will open door for peace talks with the other militant groups.

Once branded the “butcher of Kabul”, Hekmatyar was a prominent anti-Soviet commander in the 1980s. He is accused of killing thousands of people when his fighters fired on civilian areas of the capital city during the 1992-1996 civil war.

Human Right Watch, the New York-based watchdog, branded Hekmatyar “one of Afghanistan’s most notorious war crimes suspects”.

The 25-point peace agreement between the Afghan Government and the terror group gives Hekmatyar and his followers’ immunity for past actions and grants them full political rights. (ANI)