KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban have ordered the closure of all Hezb-e-Islami offices across Afghanistan, led by former warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
The group’s Ministry of Justice instructed provincial offices to shut down local branches, seize equipment, and arrest staff members.
Hekmatyar’s son, Habib-ur-Rahman Hekmatyar, posted a copy of the directive on X on April 14.
“In any province where such an office exists, bring its equipment, seal the office, and detain the staff until they repent,” the statement reads. In provinces without official offices, the statement notes, anyone operating under the party’s name must be identified and detained.
The Taliban’s ministry also directed provincial departments to coordinate with governors and intelligence officials to enforce the closures.
Habib-ur-Rahman condemned the move, comparing it to actions by Afghanistan’s former communist regime.
He said the Taliban, like the communists, label political opponents as “enemies.”
“The communists failed and were disgraced,” he wrote. “These people are repeating the same disgraceful experience.”
Since returning to power, the Taliban have banned all political parties. The regime has shut down party offices and media outlets, including the Hezb-e-Islami-affiliated TV station.
They have reclaimed Hezb-e-Islami’s residence in Darulaman, Kabul, that was allocated to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar by the former government, relocating him to Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood.
