A Turkish newspaper has claimed Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of the Hizb-e-Islami group, is currently in hospital in Istanbul.
The newspaper, Aydinlik, quoted a Turkish intelligence source as saying Hekmatyar is being treated at an Istanbul hospital. No details were however given.
Last week, Afghan government and Hizb-e-Islami officials said Hekmatyar would return to Kabul within the next few weeks and that arrangements were being made in terms of housing and security.
An Afghan provincial council member, his grandson and two guards were killed in an armed attack in northern Baghlan province on Wednesday, the latest in a spate of violence in the country.
Alam Jan Mujahid faced the attack when he was travelling in Hussain Kheil area of the province.
Two more guards were injured in the attack, according to Mohammad Zarif Zarif, another provincial council member in Baghlan.
Mujahid was a former commander of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar during Jihad. The attack comes as Hekmatyar is expected in Kabul in coming weeks after a peace deal between the government and him who led an insurgency after 2001.
The name of Hezb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has been removed from the sanctions list of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
According to a statement by UNSC, “On 3 February 2017, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al‑Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities removed the name below from the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List.”
UNSC disclosed the name of Hekmatyar after he was removed from the sanctions list, providing all the details regarding the Hezb-e-Islami leader, including date of birth and the date he was included in the list.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar formally signed the peace agreement through a video teleconference played in ARG Palace today.
The agreement was then ratified by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani as he delivered a speech on the occasion of the conclusion of the historic agreement.
The ceremony was attended by several high level government officials and prominent political figures including members of Hezb-e-Islami led by Hekmatyar.
The draft peace agreement concluded between Hezb-e-Islami delegation and the Afghanistan High Peace Council last Thursday and was signed by the two sides.
Hezb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar signed the draft peace agreement in order to pave the way for the formal signing by President Ghani, the party’s chief negotiator Karim Amin said.
The peace agreement with Hezb-e-Islami concluded after almost six months negotiations which started earlier this year with the formation of a Quadrilateral Coordination Group for the Afghan peace talks.
