India should not make the mistake of giving shelter to those who have ties with the old government

Kabul, Dt

Former Afghan Prime Minister and Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hikmatyar has warned India not to make the mistake of granting asylum to Afghan nationals with ties to Afghanistan's old government. "If India gives shelter to such people, the Taliban will also be forced to support anti-India activities," Hikmatyar said.

Gulbuddin Hikmatyar, notorious as the "butcher of Kabul", is also seen as a powerful man in the Taliban regime. In an interview with a TV channel ahead of the formation of a new Taliban government in Afghanistan, Hikmatyar said India should refrain from harboring anti-Taliban militants. If India gives political asylum to the opposition to the new Afghan government and gives them a platform for anti-government activities, the Taliban will also be forced to support anti-India activities.

On the Kashmir issue, he said the new rulers of Afghanistan had no interest in interfering in the Kashmir issue. He also added that it is easier to use Afghan soil against Pakistan than India. He advised India that India should reconsider its failed policies on Afghanistan and make up for its historic shortcomings with the support of the Soviet Union and the United States.

Hikmatyar of the Pakistan-backed Hizb-e-Islami guerrilla group and his army are accused of killing thousands of civilians during the siege of Kabul between 19 and 19. However, the 7-year-old Hikmatyar was pardoned by then-President Ashraf Ghani in 2014. The US-trained mujahideen against the Soviet Union include Hikmatyar. He has been both a friend and foe of the Taliban for the last three decades.