Cabinet of Afghanistan

The Cabinet of Afghanistan is made of the heads of all the government ministries. The president selects the members of cabinet with the approval of the National Assembly. Candidates for a ministerial position must be an Afghan citizen, be at least 35 years of age and have higher education.[1] Ministers, unlike the president and vice presidents, can have citizenship of another country, but the Wolesi Jirga has in the past rejected ministers for the reason of having dual citizenship.[2]

Current Cabinet of Ministers

National Unity Government

Portfolio	Name	Years	Status
President	Ashraf Ghani	2014–present	Chosen by electorate
First Vice President	Abdul Rashid Dostum	2014–present	Chosen by electorate
Second Vice President	Mohammad Sarwar Danish	2014–present	Chosen by electorate
Chief Executive Officer	Abdullah Abdullah	2014–present
First Deputy Chief Executive Officer	Mohammad Khan	2014–present
Second Deputy Chief Executive Officer	Mohammad Mohaqiq	2014–present
Foreign Affairs Minister	Salahuddin Rabbani	2015–present	Acting (First Approved by the National Assembly, but later Rejected by them)
National Defense Minister	Tariq Shah Bahrami	2017–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Interior Affairs Minister	Wais Barmak	2017–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Finance Minister	Eklil Ahmad Hakimiab	2015–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Economy Minister	Mustafa Mastoor	2017–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Agriculture Minister	Nasir Ahmad Durrani	2017–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Energy and Water Minister	Ali Ahmad Osmani	2015–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Minister of Justice	Abdul Basir Anwar	2015–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Information and Culture Minister	Abdul Bari Jahani	2015–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Minister of Education	Assadullah Hassan Balkhi	2015–present
Higher Education Minister	Najibullah Khwaja Omari	2017–Present	Approved by the National Assembly
Minister of Industry and Commerce	Humayoon Rasaw	2015–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Transportat Minister	Mohammad Yamma Shams	2020–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Women's Affairs Minister	Delbar Nazari	2015–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Haj and Religious Affairs Minister	Faiz Mohammad Osmani	2015–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Public Health Minister	Ferozuddin Feroz	2015–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Mines Minister	Nargis Nehan	2017–Present	Acting
Ministry of Communications and Information Technology	Shahzad Gul Ayoubi	2017–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development	Pohanmal Mojib ul-Rahman Karimi	2017–present
Minister of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled	Faizullah Zaki	2017–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Frontiers, Nations, and Tribal Affairs Minister	Gulagha Sherzai	2017–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Urban Development and Housing Minister		2015–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Counter Narcotics Minister	Salamat Azimi	2015–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Refugees and Repatriation Minister	Sayed Hussain Alemi Balkhi	2015–present	Approved by the National Assembly
Attorney General	Farid Hamidi	2016–present
Director of the National Directorate of Security	Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai	2016–present	Approved by the National Assembly
National Security Advisor	Mohammad Hanif Atmar	2015–present	Appointed by Ashraf Ghani

Previous Administrations

Karzai administration 2009–2014

Main article: Second Karzai cabinet

After winning a second term, President Hamid Karzai nominated 23 ministers in December 2009 to be part of his new administration but only 7 were approved by the National Assembly. All the other candidates that Karzai initially selected were rejected by members of the National Assembly.[3] Karzai presented a second list of 18 candidates to the Wolesi Jirga on 9 January 2010. A week later, the Wolesi Jirga again approved only seven of the candidates.[4] Since then, part of the ministries have been governed by acting ministers who do not held approval of the Afghan legislature.

In June 2010, after the resignation of Interior Minister Hanif Atmar, President Karzai submitted 7 names for a third round of confirmation in the National Assembly. Five of them were approved by the National Assembly, leaving only six of the 25 ministries left with an 'acting minister.'[5] In the line chart below is the list of members of the current Afghan Cabinet (2009–2014).[6]

Portfolio	Name	Years	Status
President	Hamid Karzai	2009–2014	Chosen by electorate
First Vice President	Mohammed Fahim	2009–2014	Chosen by electorate, died March 2014
	Yunus Qanuni	2014-2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Second Vice President	Karim Khalili	2009–2014	Chosen by electorate
Foreign Affairs Minister	Zalmai Rassoul	2010–2013	Resigned in 2013 to run for president
	Zarar Ahmad Moqbel	2013–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Defense Minister	Abdul Rahim Wardak	2010–2012	Voted out of office by the National Assembly in 2012
	Bismillah Khan Mohammadi	2012–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Interior Minister	Mohammad Hanif Atmar	2010-2010	Resigned June 2010
	Bismillah Khan Mohammadi	2010–2012	Approved by the National Assembly, voted out of office by the National Assembly in 2012
	Ghulam Mujtaba Patang	2012–2013	Was voted out of office by the National Assembly in 2013
	Mohammad Omar Daudzai	2013–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Finance Minister	Omar Zakhilwal	2010–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Economic Minister	Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal	2010–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Justice Minister	Habibullah Ghaleb	2010–2014	Approved by the National Assembly, died in March 2014
Information and Cultural Affairs Minister	Sayed Makhdum Raheen	2010–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Education Minister	Ghulam Farooq Wardak	2010–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Higher Education Minister	Sarwar Danish	2010–2012	Rejected by the National Assembly, served as acting minister
	Obaidaullah Obaid	2012–2014	Rejected by the National Assembly in 2010, but in 2012 nominated again and approved
Trade and Commerce Minister	Ghulam Mohammad Eelaqi	2010-2010	Rejected by the National Assembly, served as acting minister
	Anwar ul-Haq Ahady	2010–2013	Approved by the National Assembly, resigned in 2013 to run for president
	Mohammad Shakir Kargar	2013–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Water and Energy Minister	Ismail Khan	2010–2013	Rejected by the National Assembly in 2010, served as acting minister, approved in 2012. Resigned in 2013 to become running mate of Abdurrab Rasul Sayaf.
	Mohammad Arif Noorzai	2013–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Transportation and Aviation Minister	Mohammadulla Batash	2010-2010	Rejected by the National Assembly, served half a year as acting minister
	Daoud Ali Najafi	2010–2014	Rejected in 2010, served as acting minister, approved by the National Assemblyin 2012[7]
Public Works Minister	Sohrab Ali Safari	2010-2010	Never proposed to the National Assembly, acting minister until 2010
	Abdul Qadus Hamidi	2010–2012	Approved by the National Assembly in 2010
	Najibullah Aoudjan	2012–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Women's Affairs Minister	Husn Bano Ghazanfar	2010–2014	Rejected by the National Assembly in 2010, served as acting minister and approved in 2012
Haj and Islamic Affairs Minister	Mohammad Yousef Niazi	2010–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Public Health Minister	Suraya Dalil	2010–2014	Rejected by the National Assembly in 2010, served as Acting Minister, Approved in 2012[7]
Agriculture Minister	Mohammad Asif Rahimi	2010–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Mines Minister	Waheedullah Sharani	2010–2013	Approved by the National Assembly, Resigned in 2013 to become running mate to Qayum Karzai.
	Mohammad Akbar Barakzai	2013–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Ministry of Communications and Information Technology	Amirzai Sangin	2010–2014	Rejected by the National Assembly in 2010, served as Acting Minister, Approved in 2012
Rural Rehabilitation and Development Minister	Jarullah Mansouri	2010–2012	Approved by the National Assembly
	Wais Ahmad Barmak	2012–2014	Approved by the National Assembly[7]
Work, Social Affairs, Martyred and Disabled Minister	Amina Afzali	2010–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Border Affairs and Tribal Affairs Minister	Arsala Jamal	2010-2010	Rejected by the National Assembly, served as acting minister
	Assadullah Khalid	2010–2012	Approved by the National Assembly
	Azizullah Din Mohammad	2012–2013	Rejected by the National Assembly, served as acting minister
	Akram Khpalwak	2013–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Urban Development Minister	Sultan Hussain	2010–2012	Rejected by the National Assembly, served as acting minister
	Hasan Abdullahai	2012–2014	Approved by the National Assembly[7]
Counter Narcotics Minister	Zarar Ahmad Moqbel Osmani	2010–2013	Approved by the National Assembly, resigned in 2013 to become Foreign Affairs Minister
	Mobarez Rashidi	2014-2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Refugees and Repatriation Minister	Abdul Rahim	2010-2010	Rejected by the National Assembly, served as acting minister
	Jamahir Anwari	2010–2014	Approved by the National Assembly
Chief of the National Directorate of Security	Amrullah Saleh Ibrahim Spinzada Asadullah Khalid Rahmatullah Nabil		Resigned in 2010 Acting head since 2010
National Security Advisor	Rangeen Dadfar Spanta

Karzai administration 2004–2009

Main article: First Karzai cabinet

In the line chart below is the list of members of the Afghan Cabinet from 2004 to 2009.[8][9]

Portfolio	Minister	Years	Notes
President	Hamid Karzai	2004–2009
First Vice President	Ahmad Zia Massoud	2004–2009
Second Vice President	Karim Khalili	2004–2009
Senior Minister	Hedayat Amin Arsala	2006–2009	Post did not exist prior to 2006
Foreign Minister	Abdullah Abdullah Rangin Dadfar Spanta	2004–2006 2006–2009[10]
Defense Minister	Abdul Rahim Wardak	2004–2009
Interior Minister	Ali Ahmad Jalali Ahmad Moqbel Zarar Mohamad Hanif Atmar	2004–2005[11] 2005–2008 2008–2009
Finance Minister	Anwar ul-Haq Ahady Omar Zakhilwal	2005–2009[12] 2009-2009
Economic Minister	Mohammad Amin Farhang Mohammad Jalil Shams	2004–2006 2006–2009	[10][13]
Justice Minister	Sarwar Danish	2004–2009
Youth Minister Information and Culture Minister Culture and Youth Affairs Minister .	Amina Afzali Sayed Makhdum Rahin Sayed Makhdum Rahin Abdul Karim Khoram	2004–2006 2004–2006 2006-2006 2006–2009	Position merged with Minister of Culture in 2006 Position merged with Minister of Youth in 2006 Combination of the posts of minister of Youth Affairs and minister of Information and Culture
Education minister	Noor Mohammad Qarqeen Mohamad Hanif Atmar Ghulam Farooq Wardak	2004–2006 2006–2008 2008–2009[10]
Higher Education Minister	Ameer Shah Hasanyaar Mohammad Azam Dadfar	[11][13] 2004–2006 2006–2009
Commerce Minister Commerce and Industries Minister . .	Hedayat Amin Arsala Mohammad Amin Farhang Mohammad Haidar Reza Wahidullah Shahrani	2004–2006[10] 2006–? ?-2008 2008–2009	Industries in 2006 transferred from portofolio of Mines to portofolio of Commerce
Water and Energy Minister	Ismail Khan	2004–2009
Transportation and Aviation Minister	Enayatullah Qasemi Nimatullah Ehsan Jawed Hamidullah Qaderi Omar Zakhilwal Hamidullah Farooqi	2004–2006 2006–2008 2008?–2008 2008–2009 2009-2009	[10][13]
Women's Affairs Minister	Massouda Jalal Husn Bano Ghazanfar	2004–2006 2006–2009
Haj and Islamic Affairs Minister	Nematullah Shahrani	2004–2009
Public Welfare Minister	Sohrab Ali Saffari	2004–2009
Public Health Minister	Mohammad Amin Fatemi	2004–2009
Agriculture Minister	Obaidullah Ramin Mohammad Asif Rahimi	2004–2008 2008–2009	[10][13]
Mines and Industries Minister Mines Minister	Mir Mohammad Sediq Ibrahim Adel	2004–2006 2006–2009
Communications Minister	Amirzai Sangin	2004–2009
Rural Rehabilitation and Development Minister	Mohamad Hanif Atmar Ehsan Zia	2004–2006 2006–2009	[10]
Work and Social Affairs Minister Martyrs and Disabled Minister Work, Social Affairs, Martyred and Disabled Minister	Sayed Ikramuddin Masoomi Sediqa Balkhi Noor Mohammad Qarqeen	2004–2006 2004–2006 2006–2009	The Ministry of Disabled and Martyrs was merged with the Ministry of Social Affairs in 2006
Border Affairs and Tribal Affairs Minister	Azam Dadfar Abdul Karim Brahui	2004–2008 2008–2009
Urban Development Minister	Yousef Pashtun	2004–2009
Counter Narcotics Minister	Habibullah Qaderi General Khodaydad	2004–2008 2008–2009
Refugees and Repatriation Minister	Azam Dadfar Sher Mohammad Etebari Abdul Karim Barahawi	2004–? ?-2009 2009-2009
Attorney General	Mohammad Ishaq Aloko
Afghan National Security Adviser	Zalmai Rassoul

Afghan Transitional Administration

The Bonn conference of December 2001 had installed an interim government, the 2002 Loya Jirga subsequently elected a transitional administration. From July 2002 until the presidential elections in October 2004, the Transitional Administration governed Afghanistan.

Transitional Afghan Ministers[14]

Transitional Authority Position	Name	Incumbent/New
President	Hamid Karzai	Incumbent (before chairman)
Vice-President and Defense Minister	Mohammed Fahim	Incumbent
Vice-President	Karim Khalili	New
Vice-President	Hedayat Amin Arsala	New (was Finance Minister)
Vice-President and Public Works Minister	Abdul Qadir Abdul Ali	New (was Urban Affairs Minister) (killed on 6 July 2002) New (Ali only took over the Public Works portfolio after 6 July 2002
Vice-President and head of the Afghan Constitution Commission	Nematullah Shahrani	New
Special Advisor on Security and Education Minister	Yunus Qanuni	Incumbent (Special Advisor on Security is new post)
Foreign Minister	Abdullah Abdullah	Incumbent
Finance Minister	Mohammad Ashraf Ghani	New
Interior Minister	Taj Mohammed Wardak Ali Ahmad Jalali	New New (Jalali replaced Wardak in January 2003)
Planning Minister	Mohammad Mohaqiq	Incumbent (but lost role as vice-chair)
Communications Minister	Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai	New
Borders Minister	Arif Nurzai	New (was Small Industries Minister)
Refugees Minister	Intayatullah Nazeri	Incumbent
Mines Minister	Juma Muhammad Muhammadi	New
Light Industries Minister	Mohammed Alim Razm	Incumbent
Health Minister	Sohaila Siddiqi	Incumbent
Commerce Minister	Sayed Mustafa Kasemi	Incumbent
Agriculture Minister	Sayed Hussain Anwari	Incumbent
Justice Minister	Abbas Karimi	Incumbent
Information and Culture Minister	Saeed Makhdoom Rahim	Incumbent
Reconstruction Minister	Mohammed Fahim Farhang	Incumbent
Haj and Mosques Minister	Mohammed Amin Naziryar	New
Urban Affairs Minister	Yousef Pashtun Gul Agha Sherzai	New New (Sherzai took over on 16 August 2003)
Water and Power Minister	Mohammad Shakir Karkar	Incumbent (but los role as Vice-chair)
Irrigation & Environment Minister	Ahmed Yusuf Nuristani	New
Martyrs and Disabled Minister	Abdullah Wardak	Incumbent
Higher Education Minister	Sharif Faez	Incumbent
Civil Aviation & Tourism Minister	Mirwais Sadiq	New (was Labor and Social Affairs Minister)
Transportation Minister	Sayed Mohammed Ali Jawad
Rural Development Minister	Hanif Asmar	New
Labor and Social Affairs Minister	Noor Mohammad Qarqin
Woman's Affairs Minister	Habiba Sorabi	New
Supreme Court Chief Justice	Hadi Shinwari
Security Advisor	Zalmai Rassoul
State or Advisor-Minister for Women's Affairs	Mahbooba Hoquqmal
Governor of the Afghan Central Bank	Anwar ul-Haq Ahadi

Afghan interim administration

Main article: Afghan Interim Administration

Following the ouster of the Taliban regime approximately two dozen leading Afghans met in Germany at the Bonn Conference to choose a leadership and set in place a timeline for the adoption of a new constitution for a new Afghan government, and the timeline for choosing an executive and legislature by democratic election.[14] In the chart below is the list of members of the Interim Afghan authority. The Afghan Interim Administration (AIA) was the first administration of Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban regime and was the highest authority of the country from 22 December 2001 until 13 July 2002.

Interim Ministers[14]

Interim Administration Position	Name	Notes
Chairman	Hamid Karzai	Independent Pashtun tribal leader in exile in Pakistan
Vice-Chair and Defense Minister	Mohammed Fahim	Defense Minister of the United Islamic Front
Vice–Chair and Women's Affairs	Sima Samar	Founder of the Shuhada Organization and Shuhada Clinic in Quetta, Rome Group.
Vice-Chair and Planning Minister	Mohammed Mohaqqeq	Warlord fighting against the Taliban for the People's Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan in the United Islamic Front
Vice-Chair and Water and Energy Minister	Ahmed Shakar Karkar	United Islamic Front
Vice-Chair and Finance Minister	Hedayat Amin Arsala	Foreign Minister of the Islamic State of Afghanistan in the 90s. Rome group.
Foreign Minister	Abdullah Abdullah	Foreign Minister of the United Islamic Front
Interior Minister	Yunus Qanuni	Interior Minister of the United Islamic Front
Communications Minister	Abdul Rahim	United Islamic Front
Borders Minister	Amanullah Zadran	Taliban leader, who defected after the American invasion, Rome Group
Refugees Minister	Intayatullah Nazeri	United Islamic Front
Small Industries Minister	Aref Noozari	United Islamic Front
Mines and Industry Minister	Mohammed Alim Razm	United Islamic Front
Health Minister	Sohaila Siddiqi	Has been in the governments of king Mohammed Zahir Shah and the communist regime of the 1970s and 1980s. Independent
Commerce Minister	Sayed Mustafa Kasemi	Spokesmen and leader of United National Front
Agriculture Minister	Sayed Hussain Anwari	Chief military commander of the Harakat-e Islami in the United National Front
Justice Minister	Abbas Karimi	United Islamic Front
Information and Culture Minister	Saeed Makhdoom Rahim	Poet and writer, Rome group
Reconstruction Minister	Mohammed Fahim Farhang	Rome Group
Haj and Mosques Minister	Mohammad Hanif Balkhi	Independent
Urban Affairs Minister	Abdul Qadir	Leader in the United National Front for the Hezb-e Islami Khalis faction
Public Works Minister	Abdul Khaliq Fazal	Rome group
Irrigation Minister	Mangal Hussein	Previously warlord for the Hezbi Islami Gulbuddin, Peshawar group
Martyrs and Disabled Minister	Abdullah Wardak	Leader in the United National Front for the Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan
Higher Education Minister	Sharif Faez	United Islamic Front
Civil Aviation & Tourism Minister	Abdul Rahman	Member of United Islamic Front, but he threw his support to former king Zahir Shah and became a member of the Rome Group
Labor and Social Affairs	Mirwais Saddiq	Son of Ismail Khan, United Islamic Front
Transportation Minister	Sultan Hamid Sultan
Education Minister	Abdul Rassoul Amin	Member of the National Islamic Front and the Rome group.
Rural Development Minister	Abdul Malik Anwar	United Islamic Front

References

1. "Executive Power and Ministries – Afghanistan Language and Culture Program". larc.sdsu.edu. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
2. "Wolesi Jirga unanimously rejected ministers with dual citizenship". Ariana News. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
3. Rubin, Alissa J. (4 January 2010). "Standoff Builds Over Afghan Cabinet". The New York Times. Afghanistan. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
4. "Afghan parliament approves 7 new ministers". News.xinhuanet.com. 16 January 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
5. "Afghanistan Online: Cabinet of ministers". Afghan-web.com. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
6. "Members of President Hamid Karzai's Cabinet". Afghan-web.com. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
7. Press release by the Government Media & Information Center of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 6 March 2012, 11:10 h
8. "Afghanistan Online: Members of President Hamid Karzai's Cabinet". Afghan-web.com. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
9. Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments Archived 26 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine CIA World Leaders, 30 March 2009
10. "Cabinet Biographies". Afghanembassyjp.com. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
11. "Short Biographies of Afghanistan new Cabinet members". Mashreqi.net. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
12. Short biography of the Minister Professor Anwar-ul-Haq Ahadi Archived 3 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine
13. "President Hamid Karzai's new cabinet". Institute-for-afghan-studies.org. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
14. Thomas H. Johnson (February 2006). "The Prospects for Post-Conflict Afghanistan: A Call of the Sirens to the Country's Troubled Past". V (2). Strategic Insights. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2009.