Amin Karim, spokesman for Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s Hizb-e-Islamic group, said on Friday they are preparing for their leader’s return to Kabul, which will probably come before the United Nations lifts its sanctions against him.
 
Despite earlier reports that Russia and France were opposed to the lifting of sanctions, Karim said France does not seem to have a problem now.
 
“We are making preparations for Hekmatyar to come to Kabul. We do not need a visa for him to enter his country,” he said.
 
Amin also said Taliban’s efforts to gain power by waging war was illegal.
 
“A number of people in government are closer to Taliban ideologies than to that of Hizb-e-Islami. Taking power by force is against our religious beliefs,” Karim said.
 
The High Peace Council (HPC) meanwhile said Hekmatyar will only appear in public once sanctions against him have been lifted.
 
“Hekmatyar should wait at least until the sanctions are removed or once he’s been told he can return. Also the prisoners that are to be freed should be released and where Hekmatyar is to live should be identified. But right now none of these are cleared up,” Mohammad Amin Waqad, a member of the HPC said.
 
“If government does not implement its promises and Hizb-e-Islami does not decrease its demands, I think distrust in the peace process will increase,” Asif Sediqqi, a senator said.
 
Hizb-e-Islami also expects government to release, in the next week, over 80 of the 500 prisoners it listed, the group said.