Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the First Vice President, who is exile in Turkey will return home next week, a close aide to Dostum told TOLOnews on Friday. 

One source said the first vice president will return next week on Sunday. However, the exact date has not been confirmed by multiple sources. 

Sources said Gen. Dostum will resume his office after returning to the country. 

“Mr. first vice president will return to the country the day after tomorrow. Government is fully ready to welcome him at a high-level event,” said Abdullah Qarluq, deputy head of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan.

Presidential Palace has not commented about the agreement on Dostum’s return. However, Qarluq said government’s delegation has agreed on case of allegations against Dostum during their talks in Turkey.

“The case was made by them (government) and it is being canceled by them,” Qarluq added. 

This comes after a government delegation’s two-week visit from Turkey where they held negotiations with Dostum on his return to the country. 

The minister of Labor Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled, Faizullah Zaki, was leading the government negotiations team for the second week while the delegation was led by the Second Vice President Mohammad Sarwar Danish during the first week of the talks in Turkey. 

Sayed Anwar Sadat, the deputy head of the National Security Council, and Fraidoon Elham, deputy head of the President’s Office, are among key members of government’s delegation sent to Turkey. 

The return of the first vice president is a main demand of protestors in northern provinces for the past 17 days who also want the release of Nizamuddin Qaisari, a close aide to Dostum and a police chief in Faryab province in the north of Afghanistan.

Qaisari was arrested on July 2 after government said complaints were filed against him by local residents.

Protests are ongoing against government’s decision on Qaisari’s arrest in Takhar, Faryab and Jawzjan provinces for the past 17 days.

“Our protests will continue until the people’s demands are met by government,” said Bashir Ahmad Tahyanj, a spokesman for the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan.

Local officials and residents reported that many government offices and shops are closed during this time. 

Dostum left the country last year in May over a controversial legal case filed against him by one of his closest aides, Ahmad Eshchi. 

In 2016, Dostum was accused of orchestrating the illegal detention and alleged sexual assault against Eshchi.