"I don’t know how many weapons and which weapons are with them [Hizb-e-Islami members]. These things would have been mentioned in their [Hizb-e-Islami’s] agreement with government. They would have reached an agreement in this respect and they will act upon it," said Dawlat Waziri, front man for the Ministry of Defense.
The presence of hundreds of heavily gunnies accompanying the Hizb-e-Islami leader
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar... who used to be known in intelligence circles as
The Most Evil Man in the Worldbut who now seems merely run-of-the-mill evil...
’s convoy to Kabul nine days ago sparked major concern among the people and MPs.
Meanwhile,
...back at the alley, Slats grabbed for his rosco...
Hizb-e-Islami members last week announced that they have named 3,500 members of the group to be deployed in the security agencies.
| The Hizb-e-Islami members however have said that they will not lay down their weapons but in turn they will not use them against government. |
A number of Kabul residents meanwhile called on government to collect the weapons from Hizb-e-Islami members and other individuals and parties.
"Those opposition groups that join government should lay down their weapons," said Mustafa, a resident of Kabul.
"Their [Hizb-e-Islami’s] peace deal with government will not be useful if they refuse to surrender their weapons. It will increase the chaos," Abdul Wazir, another resident of Kabul.
The Hizb-e-Islami members however have said that they will not lay down their weapons but in turn they will not use them against government.
A front man for the group has argued that no one can ensure the safety of the group’s fighters therefore they should remain armed.
This comes after Hekmatyar signed a peace agreement late last year with government. Nine days ago, Hekmatyar returned to Kabul, for the first time in about 20 years.
The return of the group’s leader was met with mixed reaction. Some sectors welcomed his return while others were not so welcoming.
On Friday, the state minister for reforms in the security sector, Amrullah Saleh, said he was not against the grinding of the peace processor, but he was opposed to the way Hekmatyar was welcomed back to Afghanistan by government.
"I think organizing a big event (at the Presidential Palace) for the person who issued fatwas for our killing for 17 years, who financed destruction for 17 years, who committed anything against his country from a foreign country for 17 years, who gave lectures for more than an hour and paid no respect to deaders of the past 17 years in Afghanistan, was a mistake," said Saleh.