Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Hizb-e Islami Afghanistan, said in an online speech to his supporters that political change in Afghanistan is “inevitable and near.”
Hekmatyar called for the transfer of power from the Taliban to the people, the drafting of a constitution, and the holding of elections. According to Afghanistan International, he did not identify a specific political system as an alternative to the Taliban in the speech.
Hekmatyar had previously described the current situation in Afghanistan as “unacceptable” for all Afghans in April 2026 and called for immediate political change, including elections. His latest remarks are therefore seen as a continuation of his previous positions, although his tone this time was more emphatic.
In his latest remarks, the Hizb-e Islami leader questioned the legitimacy of non-elected governments and described the Taliban as being regionally isolated. He also said that countries such as Russia, Iran, and India do not provide unconditional support to the Taliban.
Hekmatyar is calling for the transfer of power through electoral mechanisms while having a long history of armed activity and opposition to previous Afghan governments. He spent years in exile and returned to Afghanistan following a peace agreement with the previous Afghan government. The agreement included an amnesty for Hekmatyar and a number of his Hizb-e Islami fighters, an agreement that Human Rights Watch criticized as an insult to war victims.
Meanwhile, a number of critics have expressed doubts about Hekmatyar’s political positions. A columnist for Hasht-e Subh newspaper wrote that Hekmatyar has fluctuated between being satisfied with the Taliban and opposing them and, like the Taliban, supports a centralized and Pashtun-centered system. This is an analysis and personal opinion and is not presented as an established fact; however, it reflects part of the criticism of Hekmatyar’s political positions.
On the other hand, Noorullah Noori, the Taliban’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, who last week spoke of readiness for dialogue with opponents, has now announced that the time for negotiations has passed. This position is significantly different from Hekmatyar’s call for the transfer of power through elections.
However, Hekmatyar’s recent remarks show that he is once again emphasizing changes to Afghanistan’s political structure, the drafting of a constitution, and the holding of elections, although he has so far not presented a specific plan for an alternative political system.
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