Why did an odious figure in Afghanistan’s history end up in “total isolation” in the very Kabul he once turned into ruins?
Author: AI Afghanistan
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the Islamic Party of Afghanistan, is one of the most complex and controversial political-military figures of the past half-century in the country. His life is a mixture of war, politics, unexpected alliances, and sudden turns. The phrase “from the dream of the Arg* to total isolation in Kabul” accurately reflects his winding and turbulent path.
Below is a brief overview of the key stages of his life to understand how he arrived at his current isolation:
1. Early years and political rise (1960s–1970s)
Engineering student and Islamic activism: In the late 1960s, Hekmatyar entered the Faculty of Engineering at Kabul University. There, he joined radical Islamic movements and quickly became one of the prominent leaders of the “Muslim Youth.”
Scandal and flight to Pakistan: In 1972, he was accused of murdering a leftist student named Saidol Sukhandan. After a period of imprisonment, following the rise to power of Mohammad Daoud Khan in 1973, he fled to Pakistan.
Creation of the Islamic Party: In Pakistan, with the support of the intelligence service (ISI), he founded the Islamic Party of Afghanistan, which soon became one of the most organized and well-armed mujahideen groups opposing the Soviet occupation.
2. Period of jihad and civil wars (1980s–1990s): “the dream of the Arg”
Rivalry with other mujahideen groups: During the war against the Soviet Union, the Islamic Party received the largest financial and military aid from the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. However, Hekmatyar often fought not against Soviet forces, but against other Afghan factions, especially Jamiat-e Islami led by Burhanuddin Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Massoud, engaging in bloody rivalries.
Destruction of Kabul and the nickname “Butcher of Kabul”: After the fall of Najibullah’s regime in 1992 and the victory of the mujahideen, Hekmatyar, seeking absolute power, rejected power-sharing agreements. He positioned himself in the mountains around Kabul (Charasiab) and for several years subjected the city to indiscriminate rocket attacks. These assaults led to the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, the destruction of the city, and the displacement of half its population, earning him the nickname “Butcher of Kabul.”
Contradictory alliances: During this period, to defeat his rivals, he allied with General Dostum (whom he had previously called an “infidel”) and was even briefly appointed Prime Minister in Rabbani’s government. However, he never managed to fulfill his dream of gaining full control over the Arg.
3. Post-Taliban period and return to politics (2000s–2010s)
Isolation and declaration of jihad against the United States: After the Taliban came to power and the subsequent U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Hekmatyar fled to Iran. Following his expulsion from Iran, he returned to the mountains and declared jihad against the governments of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani, as well as against foreign forces. His name was included on the sanctions lists of the United Nations and the United States.
Peace agreement with Ashraf Ghani (2016): In another unexpected turn, Hekmatyar signed a peace agreement with the government of Ashraf Ghani in 2016. In exchange for judicial immunity, removal from blacklists, and access to substantial financial and security resources from the state budget, he returned to Kabul. He was welcomed with honors — a red carpet and heavy security escort — and settled in an upscale district.
Electoral failure: Despite his high-profile return, he received a very low result in the 2019 presidential election, demonstrating the loss of his public support.
4. After the fall of the republic and the Taliban takeover: “total isolation in Kabul”
Attempt at mediation: After the fall of Kabul in August 2021, Hekmatyar, unlike many political leaders, did not leave the country and remained in the capital. Initially, he tried to act as a mediator or senior political figure and held meetings with Karzai, Abdullah, and representatives of the Haqqani network.
Marginalization and eviction from the state residence (2023–2024): In practice, the Taliban granted him no real power or political authority. His occasional criticism also yielded no results. In early 2024, the Taliban annulled his peace agreement with Ghani and forced him to vacate his residence and luxurious office in Kabul, which had been funded by the previous government’s budget. His son described this move as “humiliating.”
Conclusion:
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar is a politician who devoted his entire life to war and the pursuit of power. In striving to achieve the “dream of the Arg,” he did not refrain from violence, yet in the end he found himself in total isolation — in the very Kabul he once helped turn into ruins.
*Arg — the residence of the President of Afghanistan, comparable to the Kremlin in Russia or the White House in the United States.
