Hekmatyar to Khalilzad: A Retired Foreign Official Has No Right to Insult

DID Press: Following critical remarks by Zalmay Khalilzad regarding the upcoming meeting of anti-Taliban figures in Islamabad, leader of Afghanistan’s Hezb-e-Islami party Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, without naming him, sharply criticized the interference of a retired foreign official in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, saying such a person has no right to either support or belittle political groups.

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, in a message posted on its X social media platform, reacted indirectly but strongly to recent remarks by Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan peace process, condemning his interference in the country’s internal matters.

“Does a retired official of a foreign country have the right to support a particular group and belittle the Mujahideen and the leaders of the jihad? A country that has been the main cause of decades of war and bloodshed in Afghanistan, instead of insulting, should shed tears and amends its past mistakes,” wrote Hekmatyar without directly mentioning Khalilzad.

This stance was in response to Khalilzad’s recent comments, in which he described the upcoming meeting of anti-Taliban figures in Islamabad as “immature and provocative.”

Khalilzad also warned that some former Afghan leaders are attempting to “repeat past mistakes.”

Reactions to Khalilzad’s statements were not limited to Hekmatyar. Mohammad Mohaqeq, a member of the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, also criticized him, writing in a post:
“Who are you to make irresponsible statements? If the Taliban’s rise to power by force was legitimate, why would it not be for others?”

Meanwhile, Noor Rahman Akhlaqi, former Minister of Refugee Affairs, interpreted Khalilzad’s remarks as stemming from his concern over the continued resistance of the Afghanistan people against the Taliban.