Hekmatyar not intending to shift to Pakistan: spokesman           

Islamabad, Oct 19, IRNA -- A spokesman of Hizb-e-Islami, Afghanstan on

Thursday rejected reports that the former Afghan Prime Minister,     

Gulbadin Hekmatyar wanted to shift to Pakistan.                      

    The spokesman, Gul Mohammad Gulzai told IRNA that there was no   

truth in these reports.                                              

    Earlier, a Pakistan-based Afghan wire service, Ariana news agency

reported that Hekmatyar intended to shift to Pakistan and permanently

stay in Islamabad.                                                   

    Ariana quoted sources `close to Hekmatyar' that the Hizb-e-Islami,

Afghanistan leader had already filed an application with the Pakistani

embassy in Tehran.                                                    

    "No application to this effect has been delivered to the Pakistani

embassy," Gulzai said.                                               

    "Hekmatyar has been living in Iran ever since his ouster as Afghan

Prime Minister when Taliban overran Kabul, in 1996" Ariana said.