Taliban’s Ministry of Justice Orders Closure of Hezb-e-Islami Offices and Arrest of Its Members and Staff

The Taliban’s Ministry of Justice has instructed its provincial offices to shut down the active offices of Hezb-e-Islami, led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, seize their equipment, and arrest the party’s members.

Habiburrahman Hekmatyar, the son of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, announced this today (Monday, April 14) on the social media platform X by sharing an image of an official letter issued by the Taliban’s Justice Directorate in Kunduz.

According to this letter, the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice, citing a decision by the group’s cabinet banning political party activities, stated that all political party activity is prohibited. However, the ministry noted that “from time to time, publications and activities are carried out under the name of Hezb-e-Islami.”

The ministry has instructed provincial justice directorates to “seal” Hezb-e-Islami offices in coordination with provincial governors and intelligence departments, confiscate their equipment, and arrest individuals present in the offices “until they repent.”

The letter also ordered that in areas where the party does not have official offices, individuals affiliated with the party should be identified and arrested.

In response to this move, Habiburrahman Hekmatyar likened the Taliban’s actions to those of the communist governments of previous decades in Afghanistan, saying: “Like the communists, the Taliban consider their political opponents as enemies. The communists ended up disgraced and failed, and this group is repeating the same disgraceful and failed experience.”

After regaining control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban banned all political party activities in the country. Following this prohibition, party offices and affiliated TV stations were shut down, and 75 civil society organizations were closed.

The Taliban also confiscated a house in the Darul Aman area of Kabul that had been allocated by the previous government to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, relocating him to the Wazir Akbar Khan area.