LONDON: Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar re-emphasised the lack of linkage between his group and the Pakistani Taliban, whom he condemned for blocking girls' schooling.
Hekmatyar, a former Afghan prime minister and current leader Afghanistan's second largest militant group, the Hezb-i-Islami, told Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper in an interview that fresh attacks would send a warning to "others waiting to invade Afghanistan".
The warlord also vowed to kill as many Western soldiers as possible before North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) combat forces withdraw from the country in 2014.
"Before the withdrawal of invading forces, the Mujahideen would like to witness with their own eyes a scene that will teach the invaders to never think of coming this way again," he said in a video obtained by the Telegraph in response to questions asked through an intermediary.
Hekmatyar, designated a global terrorist by the United States, warned that Afghanistan could collapse into bloody civil unrest after Nato troops withdraw, 13 years after the US-led invasion.
"The fact is that the government has failed," said the former premier, who is shown in the video with a white beard and wearing a black turban.
"We might have a dreadful situation after 2014 which no one could have anticipated."
Nato is aiming to train 350,000 Afghan soldiers and police by the end of 2014 to take over responsibility for security.
But trust between the two sides has been seriously undermined by "insider" attacks by Afghan forces that killed more than 60 foreign troops in 2012, and the transition process has been beset by other problems including desertions.
Hekmatyar indicated that Hezb-i-Islami, notorious for its bloody siege of Kabul in the 1990s, has softened some of its hardline Islamist policies such as banning women from education.
He condemned the Pakistani Taliban's blocking of girls' schooling, which was thrown into the spotlight in October by its attempted murder of 15-year-old education campaigner Malala Yousafzai on her schoolbus.
He insisted that Hezb-i-Islami "consider education is as necessary for girls as it is for boys", though they object to combined male and female classes.
The former premier also blasted Britain's Prince Harry, who has been serving in Afghanistan since September as an Apache helicopter pilot, as a "jackal" who was "drunk" while on duty.
"The British prince comes to Afghanistan to kill innocent Afghans while he is drunk," Hekmatyar told the Telegraph.
Britain's ministry of defence said it was "simply absurd" to suggest that the third-in-line to the throne or any other member of the British armed forces was conducting operations under the influence of alcohol.
"The consumption of alcohol by UK military personnel is not permitted under any circumstances while deployed in Afghanistan," a ministry spokesman said.
COMMENTS (25)
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I appreciate your efforts and I think we do need more and more people on both sides of the border who can help building the bridges and allow them to discover whats on the other side.. I am sure if that happens and liberalization of visa regime succeeds without any efforts by nonstate actors (both ways),people will be able to go across to discover their ancestral root and in many cases their close relatives who were separated during partition... It will be like rediscovering their home...
@socko: I agree with your statement and apologize for not being sensitive. I was actually replying to a hate comment that everybody who is telling the truth is an Indian agent. As if we Pakistanis cannot tell the truth! If I were replying to other readers I would be more careful. How can I forget Delhi, the home and last resting place of Ghalib? Agra, the birth place of first big poet Mir? Or Deccan the birth place of first Urdu poet Quli Qutab Shah, and Wali. How could I degrade the services for Urdu and the culture of Alighar and Luckhnow or Sir Syed? Or Amir Khusro who is buried in Delhi and the list goes on and on. Sorry if I hurt anybody's feelings. Ciao
@Ricky
Someones feeling left out. Lol thats u Hekmatyar.
I do not support any terror group or non governmental militia, no matter what the excuse for violence, terror, or Jihad. Supporting women's education does not make a good terrorist or a benign Jihadi. There is no such thing as a good Taliban. They partner with the west when it suits them. Our governments or covert or agencies should have nothing to do with them.
@Sterry: I was sarcastic because we in Pakistan talk about good and bad Taliban. BTW, I am not Indian and from Pakistan. Most Indians would not call one (singular) terrorist leader a Talib, only a person who is good at Urdu can! The whole world knows Gulbuddin Hekmatyar was a Pakistani favourite till Taliban took over.
Hekmatyar is right. Pakistani Taliban or TTP are filled with Uzbeks, afghans and Chechens as proven by the recent attacks in Peshawar, so calling them Pakistani is a misnomer in the first place.
@Ricky: No I think you Indians think he is a good Taliban because he promotes the Indian agenda of instability like all of your Indian agents. It never ceases to amuse me to see the number of Indians who are obsessed with posting anti Pakistan comments on Pakistani news sites!
This guy seem legit. (not sarcastic)
@Sabi
Your comment sums up Hekmatyar and his ilk. Hekmatyar is known as the Wafadar Ghulam or Mrayay in Pashto throughout Afghanistan.
we already know that TTP is a foreign backed organisation whose sole purpose is to destabilize Pakistan & kill as many Pakistanis as possible using Islam's name, TTP are not Muslims nor they are Pakistanis.
Indian trolls...ready 1, 2, 3 post your comments now
Hekmatyar, from what I remember has always been the softer one out of the two groups and was always liked by Pakistani establishment vis-a-vis Taliban, until they took over Kabul in 1990s. Afterwards, there was a change of heart and what happened afterwards is a dreadful story. His comment is very interesting at this point, it seems like he is vying for leadership of Afghan fighters while distancing himself from Pakistani Taliban. This itself might be a signal as to where Pak establishment is headed.
@What:
Hyktmatyar's supporters have credible allegations against them of having thrown acid on the faces of unveiled Kabul University students. Furthermore, his party is considered responsible for much of the destruction wreaked on Kabul in the early 90s. He's a radial, extremist, and an opportunist warlord who is said to have received $600 Million in funding from US, KSA, and Pakistan and has often shifted sides or underwhelmed his handlers at the ISI.
Hekmatyar is a great man. He recognizes the help Pakistan has provided in achieving his goals,and always put the interests of Pakistan first. So unlike ungrateful India and NATO sponsored terrorists.
Gulbadin Hekmatyar had always been relatively moderate in it's militant struggles against NATO forces and Afghan government. Girls schools do operate in Kunar, Khowst and other areas that fall under control of Hizb-e-Islami. Unlike Mullah Omar's mainstream Taliban who are dispersed across the southern Afghanistan, HiG has a strong network of Intelligence and have a huge infiltration in the Kabul government.
Btw, Gulbadin need not to go that far to criticize TTP, his own fellow "Mullah Omar's Taliban"/Quetta Shura don't even allow boys schools let alone the girls ones.
And you get your strength from ISI.Credit or discredit goes to the agency.Who are you?:Waitng for hours outside verandas of premier agencies officers to get some buks and ashirbad.
What a good Taliban and a friend of Pakistan. He should send his fighters to fight Pak Taliban since military is not fighting them by making unrealistic excuses.
It is physically impossible for Afghan Taliban to dissociate with TTP because they are ideologically similar and provide sanctuary and fighters to each other. These statements made by ISI's prodding will not change the facts. ISI seems to have started to believe its own lies. ET people need to read this!!
TTP and these warlords are two side of the same coin. If Hekmatyar is looking for sympathies then he has failed miserably. Afghanistan, and Pakistan, would be much better off if these holy warrior warlords would die and leave the rest of us to live in peace.
"has softened some of its hardline Islamist policies such as banning women from education"
Banning women from education was never Hekmatyaars policy.
Hekmatyar has always been pro Pakistan.