KABUL: Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hizb-e-Islami, Afghanistan has condemned the killing of Taliban's top commander Mullah Akhtar Mansour, in a US drone strike and accused Iranian intelligence of providing information about Mansour to ask for incentives from the United States.
"I strongly condemn the joint operation carried out by the U.S and Iran which terrorized Mullah Akhtar Mansour," Hekmatyar said in a statement on Thursday.
"There are reports that the Iranian intelligence had provided the U.S with the information about Mullah Mansour and the drone strike took place on the basis of the information provided by Iran," the statement read.
Hekmatyar said that "on the one hand we are carrying out the peace process; we also condemn this act of terrorism in the strongest terms and call the Iranian act big and unforgivable treason."
Hekmatyar went on to say, "Hizb-e-Islami wants the peace agreement which came out of the negotiations with the Kabul government to be finalized and hope it is prepared for the signature. We have to create proper grounds inside the party members about the agreement and we have to also persuade the Taliban to enter inter-Afghan dialogue. We also suggested some conditions for reforms within Kabul government which are acceptable to all parties including the Taliban," Hekmatyar said.
Meanwhile, critics have dismissed Hekmatyar's remarks and perceived siding with the Taliban, asking government to clarify the conditions agreed upon to bring him to Kabul, terming secrecy in the peace talks with the militant group as national treason.