UN removes Hekmatyar from designated terrorists list

February 04, 2017 10:38

The United Nations has removed Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar from its list of designated terrorists, lifting the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo imposed on the insurgent leader who has signed a peace pact with the government.

The Security Council's Al Qaeda sanctions committee concerning ISIS, Al Qaeda and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities removed Hekmatyar's name from the Islamic State (Da'esh) and Al Qaeda Sanctions List on Friday.

"Therefore, the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 2 of Security Council resolution 2253 (2015) no longer apply to him," the Sanctions Committee said in a statement.

In details mentioned about the 67-year-old, the statement said Hekmatyar was listed on February 20, 2003 and was "believed to be in the Afghanistan/Pakistan border area as at January 2011."

Hekmatyar, head of the Hezb-e-Islami party, had last year in September signed a landmark peace agreement with Kabul. He is expected to return to the country within weeks. A former Prime Minister, Hekmatyar was a prominent anti-Soviet commander in the 1980s.

Following the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan and fall of the Taliban, the US State Department designated him a terrorist, accusing him of taking part in and supporting attacks by Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

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