Hekmatyar

Hekmatyar
Name	Hekmatyar
Birth date	1949
Birth place	Imam Sahib, Kunduz Province, Kingdom of Afghanistan
Nationality	Afghan
Known for	Founder of Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin, Afghan mujahideen commander, Prime Minister of Afghanistan
Party	Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin
Religion	Islam
Spouse	Fatana Gilani

Hekmatyar is a prominent and controversial Afghan political figure and former mujahideen commander. He founded the Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin faction and served twice as Prime Minister of Afghanistan during the Afghan Civil War (1992–1996). His political career, spanning from the Cold War to the present, has been marked by militant opposition to foreign forces and shifting alliances within Afghanistan's complex political landscape.

Early life and education

Born in 1949 in Imam Sahib, Kunduz Province, he was raised in a Pashtun family. He attended the prestigious Kabul University in the late 1960s, where he studied engineering. His time at the university coincided with a period of intense political ferment, and he became involved with the Muslim Youth organization, a precursor to many Islamist movements in Afghanistan. This period exposed him to the ideological currents of Islamism and anti-communism, which would define his future political trajectory. His activism at Kabul University brought him into contact with other future leaders like Burhanuddin Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Massoud.

Political and military career

His political career began in earnest with his opposition to the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan and the Saur Revolution of 1978. Following the Soviet invasion in 1979, he founded the Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin, one of the seven major Peshawar Seven mujahideen factions based in Pakistan. The group received substantial support from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and the United States through Operation Cyclone. His faction was known for its strict discipline, effective guerrilla tactics, and fierce rivalry with other commanders, particularly Ahmad Shah Massoud of the Jamiat-e Islami. During the war, he was a frequent visitor to the White House and met with officials like President Ronald Reagan.

Role in the Afghan Civil War

After the collapse of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in 1992, he was appointed Prime Minister of Afghanistan under the Peshawar Accord. However, he refused to accept the presidency of Burhanuddin Rabbani and his Jamiat-e Islami party, leading to the devastating Afghan Civil War (1992–1996). His forces, based in Charasiab, relentlessly rocketed Kabul, causing massive destruction and civilian casualties. This intra-mujahideen conflict paved the way for the rise of the Taliban. He served as prime minister again briefly in 1996, but was soon ousted from Kabul by the advancing Taliban forces, who captured the city and established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Exile and return to Afghanistan

Following the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and the fall of the Taliban, he went into exile, likely in Iran. His Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin was designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations Security Council. From exile, he continued to direct insurgent activities against the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the International Security Assistance Force. After years of negotiations, he returned to Kabul in 2016 following a peace agreement with the government of President Ashraf Ghani, facilitated by Pakistan.

Political activities and peace deal

The 2016 peace deal, endorsed by the National Unity Government, granted him and his followers amnesty and political legitimacy. His return marked a significant shift, as he publicly reconciled with former adversaries and called for national unity. However, his political influence within the post-2001 republic remained limited. Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, he initially remained in Kabul but has maintained a low public profile, with his long-term role in the new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan being uncertain.

Personal life and legacy

He is married to Fatana Gilani, a women's rights activist. His legacy is profoundly divisive; he is viewed by some as a staunch Islamist and nationalist figure who resisted both Soviet and NATO occupations. To many others, particularly in Kabul, he is remembered as a ruthless warlord whose bombardment of the capital during the civil war caused immense suffering. His journey from a U.S.-backed mujahideen commander to an insurgent leader and finally to a reconciled political figure encapsulates the turbulent and complex history of modern Afghanistan.

Category:Afghan mujahideen Category:Prime Ministers of Afghanistan Category:1949 births Category:Living people