The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) head Sima Samar told TOLOnews on Sunday that Gulbuddin Hekmatyar needs to put aside his views and accept Afghanistan for what it has accomplished in the past 15 years.  

Samar also said government needs to end its culture of impunity and implement the law on everyone equally.

Samar said that as Afghanistan has witnessed an evolution over the past 15 years, so too must Hekmatyar change his point of view.  

“We don’t want to lose the past years’ achievements that we gained with lots of sacrifices; we don’t want to lose them with the return of a person or a commander,” said Sama.

As has the city of Kabul’s appearance changed over the past 20 years, in Hekmatyar’s absence, so too has the social fabric and level of technology in the city.  

Socially, huge strides have been made in 15 years, in particular that within the education sphere.

One example of this is Farzan Sadat who was educated in the field of journalism a few years ago and now works as a journalist. As a woman, this would not have happened 20 years ago.  

“The presence of women in society beside men is very important and we do not want that right and freedom taken away from us,” Sadat said.

A number of MPs have also said that Hekmatyar now needs to adjust himself to the current system and its relatively new social customs.  

“Every leader that wants to survive politically must align himself with the current evolution and progress which is taking shape,” said Fawzia Koofi, an MP.

“Laws do not give the right to anyone to forgive someone for punishment and Hekmatyar must not compare the current situation with that 20 years ago; he must accept Afghanistan’s constitution,” said Raihana Azad, another MP.

But, the AIHRC said that prosecution of those who committed human rights violations was also necessary.

“The culture of impunity must end in Afghanistan and anyone who is guilty should be held accountable,” Samar said.

This comes after Hekmatyar’s return to Afghanistan a few days ago. On Saturday he addressed a public gathering for the first time in about 20 years.

Speaking to his supporters in Laghman province he urged them to forget the past but he did not express any regret over his deeds during the civil war.