Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin

Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin
source
Name	Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin
Native name	حزب اسلامی گلبدین
Leader	Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Foundation	1977
Split	Hezb-e Islami
Headquarters	Afghanistan
Ideology	Islamism, Anti-communism, Pashtun nationalism
Religion	Sunni Islam (Deobandi)
International	Muslim Brotherhood (historical influences)
Colors	Green

Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin is a Sunni Islamist political party and former mujahideen faction in Afghanistan, primarily composed of Pashtuns and led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. The group originated from a 1979 split within the original Hezb-e Islami and became one of the most powerful and heavily armed factions fighting the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and the Soviet occupation. Notorious for its militant tactics and political intransigence, it has played a complex and often disruptive role in Afghanistan's conflicts, opposing successive governments including the Islamic State of Afghanistan, the Northern Alliance, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and the Taliban regime until a 2016 peace agreement.

History

The faction emerged in 1979 when Gulbuddin Hekmatyar consolidated control over the majority of the original Hezb-e Islami, which had been founded by Abdul Rasul Sayyaf and others. During the Soviet–Afghan War, it became a principal recipient of weaponry and financial support from the Pakistani ISI and the American CIA, channeled through Pakistan. Following the collapse of the communist government in 1992, Hekmatyar's forces heavily shelled Kabul during the Afghan Civil War (1992–1996), contributing to widespread destruction. After the Taliban captured Kabul in 1996, the group retreated to northern strongholds, largely opposing the new regime. In the post-9/11 era, it fought against the United States-led War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, culminating in a peace deal with the government of Ashraf Ghani in 2016.

Ideology and objectives

The group's core ideology is a strict, Deobandi-influenced interpretation of Sunni Islam combined with strong Pashtun nationalism and vehement anti-communism. Historically influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood and figures like Abul A'la Maududi, its objective was to establish an Islamic state in Afghanistan governed by Sharia. The faction maintained a deeply anti-Western stance, opposing both Soviet and American influence, and was consistently hostile towards other Afghan factions it deemed insufficiently Islamist or too accommodating to foreign powers, including the Northern Alliance and the post-2001 Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Structure and leadership

The organization has been dominated by its founder and paramount leader, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, whose charismatic authority and political decisions have defined the faction's trajectory. Its structure was hierarchical and centralized, with a Shura (consultative council) overseeing political and military affairs. Key figures have included military commanders like Engineer Mahmud and spokesmen such as Haroon Zarghon. The group maintained a distinct chain of command separate from the original Hezb-e Islami faction led by Yunus Khalis, with its operational and logistical networks deeply embedded in certain Pashtun-populated regions of eastern Afghanistan and across the border in Pakistan.

Military activities and conflicts

The faction was a major combatant in the Soviet–Afghan War, known for effective guerrilla warfare. During the Afghan Civil War (1992–1996), its forces were infamous for the relentless rocketing of Kabul and battles against rivals like Ahmad Shah Massoud of the Jamiat-e Islami and Abdul Rashid Dostum of Junbish-e Milli. After 2001, it waged an insurgency against the ISAF and ANSF, employing tactics like IED attacks and ambushes, particularly in provinces like Kunar, Nangarhar, and Kapisa. It occasionally coordinated tactically with the Taliban and other groups like the Haqqani network, though it remained a separate entity.

Political role and governance

Despite its militant focus, the group has intermittently engaged in politics. It participated in the early Islamic State of Afghanistan government, with Hekmatyar briefly serving as Prime Minister in the mid-1990s, though his tenure was marked by conflict. Following the 2016 peace agreement with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the faction transformed into a political party, with Hekmatyar returning to Kabul. The accord granted it legal political status, ministerial positions, and the release of its prisoners, integrating it into the political process, though its influence remained regionally concentrated.

International relations and designation

The faction's international relations have been defined by conflict and isolation. During the Cold War, it received support from Pakistan, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. Post-2001, it was designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department and the United Nations Security Council, with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar placed on international sanctions lists. Key allies have included elements within the Pakistani establishment and other militant Islamist groups. The 2016 peace deal led to the lifting of some sanctions, though the group's historical ties to global jihadism remain a point of international concern.

Category:Political parties in Afghanistan Category:Islamist groups in Afghanistan Category:Mujahideen factions