The United Nations Security Council (UNSC)has lifted sanctions on the notorious Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, previously branded "a global terrorist" and accused of war crimes.
The move follows a peace deal between Hekmatyar's insurgent group Hezb-i-Islami and the Afghan government in September that granted him legal immunity from past offences, sparking outrage from rights groups.
Although Hekmatyar is accused of killing thousands in Kabul during the 1992-1996 civil war, many foreign governments, including the United States, praised the landmark accord as a step towards peace in Afghanistan.
A statement on the UNSC's website Friday Feb 03,2017 said an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo targeting Hekmatyar - a former prime minister and one of the most controversial figures in Afghanistan's modern history - no longer applied.
The whereabouts of Hekmatyar, who was not present in Kabul for the signing of the agreement that was completed via video conference - remains unknown.
Hekmatyar is believed to be in hiding in Pakistan, but his group claims he remains in Afghanistan
Hekmatyar was a prominent anti-Soviet commander in the 1980s and a major figure during the bloody civil war of the 1990s when he was accused of indiscriminately firing rockets into Kabul, as well as other human rights abuses.
In recent years the insurgent conflict has been led by the Taliban.
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