Afghan warlord rules out peace talks till NATO forces remain in Afghanistan

Kabul, Aug.17 (ANI): Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, one of the world's and Afghanistan's most wanted warlords, has said that he will not enter into any peace talks while foreign troops remain in Afghanistan.

Hekmatyar, who was once Afghanistan's prime minister and now leads the Hezb-e-Islami political party and a paramilitary group in Afghanistan, told Sky News in an interview that: "The important issue for us is to end the occupation and re-establish the country's sovereignty. We never want to take part in a puppet Government under foreign dictat."

"The Kabul Government is made up of looters and corrupt criminals. We don't want to enter this dirty ditch. The Kabul Government has no power or will. They have no decision-making powers. The foreign powers don't even listen to the Government's requests to avoid civilian casualties or share information about their operations," he added.

Obtaining the interview with Hekmatyar involved weeks of negotiation with intermediaries.

He says his group is very active in the south of the country where British troops are mostly stationed in Helmand.

"In the end the Americans will be forced to leave Afghanistan and that will be the day that will be celebrated as Afghanistan freedom just as it was celebrated as a freedom day in Iraq's cities when the American forces left. While they are here the war will never end and there won't be any security either," he says. (ANI)