Imtiaz Gul
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Pakistan visit came as no surprise. His social, political, and business relations in this country are spread over decades. For him, it was like a home-coming, unlike Dr.Abdullah Abdullah, whose September visit to Islamabad was a momentous event because he belongs to an ethnic group that doesn’t look at Pakistan favorably.
During and after his meetings with Pakistanis across all spectrums, Dr.Abdullah Abdullah generated a number of positive impressions, spoke of unusual positivity in the air, appreciated the host country’s contribution to the Afghan reconciliation process, and underlined more CBMs (confidence-building measures) to clear the mist of the mistrust that still clouds bilateral relations.
Hekmatyar, on the other hand, came across as the harbinger of impending chaos and instability; he portrayed President Ashraf Ghani as the head of an “imposed puppet regime.” He likened the regime to a “boat riddled with holes in the bottom and fated to sink.” He even dismissed the Doha process between the Taliban and the Kabul representatives as “inconsequential.”
Even if a deal were to be worked out in Doha, it may not guarantee peace because the process is not inclusive (only between Kabul and Taliban, whereby other stakeholders like his Hezbe Islami and Jamiate Islami are not part of it) he said.
Hekmatyar came across as a rhetorical man still steeped in history, driven by skepticism and delusional as far as the way forward is concerned.
It is worth recalling that when the Afghan jihad veteran – controversial on many counts – returned to Kabul on May 4,
In 2017, most of the world media screamed with almost similar headlines. The most frequently mentioned title they gave him was the “Butcher of Kabul.” This was rooted in history indeed; Kabul endured a long spate of rocketing by Hezbe Islami – entranced in the Chahaaraasiab district south of the capital – in the mid-1990s, killing scores in the main town.
For the mayhem his rockets and sniper attacks caused in the capital, most of Kabul residents resent Hekmatyar and his once-dreaded fundamentalist Hezbe Islami.
We should not forget that most of the kids and youngsters who suffered the incessant rocketing by Hezbe Islamic in the mid-1990s have now grown up to positions of power in politics, business, and academia. The thuds of shells, rockets, and stinger missiles still haunt them. And mind you, these people constitute the majority of residents of Kabul.
A few points to ponder;
Firstly, why would the Kabul residents be favorable to a person they consider as a “notorious, controversial, opportunist and a ruthless power seeker who destroyed parts of Kabul while trying to evict Jamiate Islami and its allies?”
Secondly, why would such a controversial person – pretending to be a maverick – spew venom against Ghani while rubbing shoulders with Pakistani leaders? Ghani – despite all his shortcomings – remains an internationally recognised president of war-torn Afghanistan.
Thirdly, why would Hekmatyar, while sitting in Islamabad, belittle Dr.Abdullah Abdullah as a “paid official appointed by Ghani and with no political value.”
Fourth, did Hekmatyar’s misplaced aggressive and dismissive posturing vis a vis other stakeholders – Ghani, Doha, US – serve Pakistan’s narrative on reconciliation?
On the contrary, it not only sparked furious reactions in Kabul but also once again triggered negative commentary on Pakistan.
This also meant undermining the goodwill that Pakistan has regained with its recent moves on visa facilitation, transit trade, and education scholarship, of course, coupled with Dr.Abdullah Abdullah’s first formal Islamabad visit.
Lastly, this context begs the question as to whether it was a wise move to extend a state reception to a controversial leader and allowing him a free run to foul-mouth his own president as well as the United States? Despite his commitment to peace and reconciliation, his talk centred on negativity and skepticism – all at a time when Afghanistan’s hapless people need positive messaging loaded with peace and not pessimism.
We must remember; people like Hekmatyar may delude themselves with the claim of defeating the Soviet Union and the United States, but they must also look at what has happened to their country as a result of over four decades of war and selfish pursuit by individuals?
