One of the heads of Afghanistan’s national unity government must resign: Hekmatyar

Kabul [Afghanistan] : Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) chief Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has called for the resignation of either President Ashraf Ghani or Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah.

The former warlord arrived in Kabul on Thursday after over 20 years after signing a peace deal with the Afghanistan government.

After meeting President Ghani at the Presidential Palace, Hekmatyar addressed parliamentarians stating that the “national unity government does not work in Afghanistan and one of the heads of national unity government must step down”.

In a series of tweets and reported by TOLO News, Hekmatyar said, “For war criminals to be prosecuted, we first need a strong central government, not a coalition one. The current government is incapable of doing it.”

Speaking in the presence of U.S.-led coalition forces, Hekmatyar said “Let’s eliminate all excuses for the presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan.”

Terming the Taliban as his brothers, the former warlord called on them to choose him as their brother and he will fight for their “legitimate demands.”

Hekmatyar said “Talibans are Afghans and they are a part of the nation.”

Hekmatyar told Ghani and Abdullah “Bring your families to Afghanistan. I have brought mine. Afghanistan is our home and grave.”

Hekmatyar’s long convoy was welcomed by huge crowds standing on both sides of Kabul-Jalalabad highway . His supporters held up HIA flags and huge billboards of Hekmatyar’s image in welcoming him to the national capital.

Hekmatyar will address a public gathering at the Ghazi Stadium on Friday, where the Taliban once held public executions.(ANI)