"He should learn leadership and politics from Mullah Haibatullah."
Author: Dr. Fazlmanullah Mumtaz, former spokesman for the Islamic Party of Afghanistan.
Original article: بیبیسی و صدای آمریکا - منبع وحی حکمتیار
Unlike other politicians, Mr. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has not left a single significant idea or legacy worthy of attention during his entire public life. During all the years of his so-called struggle, he was only a tool in the hands of foreign forces waging proxy wars, playing the role of an appointed commander in someone else's scenario.
Why did he appear on the political scene?
The answer lies in the needs of Pakistan and the United States, each pursuing its own goals:
Pakistan's goal: This country's intelligence services have traditionally sought to weaken the central government in Afghanistan. To do this, they used trained cadres, providing them with privileges and influence. Hekmatyar proved to be one of the best implementers of this strategy: He destroyed social and economic structures, undermined the army, and destabilized the political fabric of the country, all in the interests of Islamabad.
The US goal: They needed a player capable of leading the fight against the Soviet Union. Hekmatyar became a convenient tool for implementing this plan.
But if you want to understand Hekmatyar's essence, do not read his empty, embittered speeches—look instead at his party programs, his management ideas (if he had any), and his concept of statehood. In his entire life, he never showed any innovative, scientific, or popular approach to leadership.
Why was Hekmatyar always dependent?
Because he had neither an economic base nor self-sufficiency. He lived by the principle: "I hear on the radio - the next day I will come out with a response." The BBC and the Voice of America became sources of "divine revelation" for him: any mention of his name caused a violent emotional reaction.
He used the same tactics in relations with domestic political opponents.
Today, isolated, he again shows anxiety: the activity of his old rivals increases his grievances and mental pain. He again criticizes everything in a row - radio, news, statements of others - because he wants to hit two targets with one shot: first, to indirectly hit his rivals, and second, to try to brainwash the Taliban, convincing them that the United States allegedly wants to return the Bagram air base, and Russia is ready for a deal - supposedly, the Taliban should not get involved with either.
This is the result of Hekmatyar's months-long silence - he decided to "think politically" again.
But in fact, the games of great powers do not fit into his limited thinking at all. The Taliban have their own intelligence and have accumulated their own experience over the past 30 years. As Zabihullah Mujahid said, "We will not repeat Hekmatyar's failures," and Mullah Hasan Akhund added, "If this were an engineering issue, we would have turned to you. But this is religion."
The topics of Ukraine, the Bagram base, the Taliban movement, the political activity of his rivals - all this is beyond his understanding, millions of light years beyond his perception.
The bottom line:
Hekmatyar, with his childish political maneuvers, dreams of winning a place in the hearts of the Taliban. But he must understand: his one-sided "love" two years ago did not evoke reciprocal feelings from the Taliban. On the contrary, it only harmed him. And today, he will not be accepted again. As the acting Minister of Health rightly noted:
"Hekmatyar would do better to learn leadership and politics from Mullah Haibatullah."
