News - Afghanistan

Leader of the hardline Hezb-e-Islami, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has rejected calls to open a political office for his party outside Afghanistan.

Mr Hekmatyar has said his party has been suggested to open a political office in a country outside Afghanistan, but he has refused to do so because according to him opening an office outside the country would mean that his party is exiled.

The Hezb-e-Islami leader also slammed secret talks between the US and the Taliban saying such talks are not in the interest of Afghanistan.

He has said that the Kabul government will not survive after the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan.

It comes as last month Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's appointed delegation led by Qutbuddin Hilal and Ghairat Baheer recently met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss peace talks and the Afghan government expressed optimism about the talks.

The comments come after Kabul and Washington recently agreed to the establishment of a Taliban office in Qatar and emphasised that the talks would be Afghan-led.

Meanwhile, it is said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are also making efforts to open talks with the Taliban in Saudi Arabia.