Osama is alive: Gul Badin Hikmatyar

KABUL/ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister of Afghanistan and chief of Hizb ul Islami, Gul Badin Hikmatyar has disclosed that Al-Qaeeda chief Osama Bin Laden was well and alive.

In a video message released on Monday, Gul Badin Hikmatyar disclosed that Osama Bin Laden was alive, however, if US and its allies announce their departure from Afghanistan than they can be provided safe exit.

He also claimed that the Hizb ul Islami has a vast network spreading throughout Afghanistan. However, he ruled out any links with Haqani group.

Former Afghan Prime Minister Gul Badin Hikmatyar said that US cannot conquer Kabul without assistance of Pakistan. "It is absurd to say that Pakistan is assisting Taliban, " he added.

Similarly, he said that Taliban government came to end in Afghanistan due to the wrong strategy of Al-Qaeeda.

He said that USSR and Iran in collaboration with Ahmad Shah Masood had planned to conquer Afghanistan and Masco had also decided to send 17000 troops to Afghanistan. But they failed in their nefarious designs.

Meanwhile, former ISI Chief Hamid Gul while talking to private TV Channel has termed Gul Badin Hikmatyar as most well-informed leader and said that if Gul Badin Hikmatyar said that Osama Bin Laden is alive than there was no doubt in his video message.

Hamid Gul said that if Osama Bin Laden was alive than he must be in Afghanistan and this was a US$50 million question.

He further said that it was a permanent, traditional feature of Afghan society not to be suppressed by any foreign forces. Therefore, US can’t succeed in its war in Afghanistan even if it increased its number of army upto 400,000 instead of 40000. Taliban are getting strong with the passage of time as "US is increasing its number of troops, " he added.

He said that as far as Hillary Clinton remarks were concerned about the presence of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, it is just propaganda against Pakistan, as leveling such charges was an attempt to take control of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.