WASHINGTON: The United States on Friday described the agreement between Afghan government and Hezb-i-Islami as an important step towards restoring peace and stability in Afghanistan.

The Afghan government on Thursday signed a peace agreement with the Islamist group, headed by Gulbadin Hekmatyar. The pact paves the way for Hekmatyar, who spent decades fighting successive governments in Kabul, to return to the political mainstream.

“The United States welcomes the peace agreement negotiated and… we applaud both parties for seeking a peaceful resolution through political dialogue and negotiation,” said Ned Price, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council.

“We commend the agreement as an important demonstration of the Afghan government’s commitment to restoring peace and stability in Afghanistan.”

The United States once considered Hekmatyar a dangerous warlord.

But this is the second time that the US has welcomed him into the political mainstream. In 1985, the-then US president Ronald Reagan hosted Hekmatyar, then a key mujahideen leader, at the White House.

“The United States continues to support an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process in which armed groups cease violence, break ties with international terrorist groups, and accept the [Afghan] constitution, including protections for women and minorities,” the White House official said.

The 25-point agreement binds the opposition party to taking immediate steps “to end war permanently” and for restoring a sustainable peace and security in Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn September 24th, 2016