Prime Minister of Afghanistan

The prime minister of Afghanistan was a post in the Afghan government. The position was created in 1927 as an official appointed by the king of Afghanistan. The holder served mostly as an advisor, until the end of the Kingdom of Afghanistan in 1973. During the 1980s, the position was the head of government.

Prime Minister of Afghanistan
Appointer	King (1927–1973) President (1978–2001)
Formation	25 October 1927 1 May 1978
First holder	Shir Ahmad
Final holder	Abdul Rahim Ghafoorzai
Abolished	17 July 1973 21 August 1997

History of the office

Kingdom

Main article: Kingdom of Afghanistan

The chairman of the Council of Ministers was not headed by the prime minister, but the King. Only during his absence was the premier the acting chairman of the Council.

Until 1963, King Mohammed Zahir Shah appointed his relatives as prime ministers. King Zahir Shah also had the power to dismiss or transfer the prime minister. From 1963 onwards, this was changed, stating that the head of the Afghan government was the prime minister, and that the government consisted of its ministers. It was the first time that King Zahir Shah did not play an important role in the government, leaving it to an elected authority. However, it also stated that they cannot engage in any other profession during their tenure of office.

The 1964 Constitution also granted the prime minister the power to summon the Electoral College in case of the death of the king. The prime minister only answered to the Wolesi Jirga about the General Policy of the government, and individually for their prescribed duties.[1]

Democratic Republic

Main article: Democratic Republic of Afghanistan

In April 1978, Mohammed Daoud Khan was killed during a coup that started the Saur Revolution. The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) revived the office of Prime Minister that year, and it remained throughout the 1980s.

The president was in charge of the appointment of the prime minister, who in turn appointed the Council of Ministers. The Council's stated purpose was to formulate and implement domestic and foreign policies, to formulate economic development plans and state budgets, and to ensure public order.

Under the 1987 Constitution, the president was required to appoint the prime minister in order to form the government. The prime minister had the power to dissolve the government. Several Afghan presidents during the Democratic Republic era were also appointed as Prime Minister. With the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the prime minister was no longer in charge of the government. The general secretary of the PDPA or the director of the KHAD exercised greater power.

Also, the 1990 Constitution established that only Afghan-born citizens are eligible to hold the office, something that was not specified in the previous documents.

Islamic State/Emirate

Main articles: Islamic State of Afghanistan and Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

After the collapse of Mohammad Najibullah's government, a transitional state was created. Thus, the office of Prime Minister once again played an important role in the history of the nation.

There was constant friction between the president and the premier during this period. The state had collapsed and there was not an effective central government from 1992 until 1996. Thus, the position became de facto ceremonial, with little power in what was left of the government.

The title was abolished when the Taliban forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan took over control in 1996. The deputy leader of the Taliban was often known as the prime minister throughout its rule. With the death of Mohammad Rabbani in 2001,[2] the Taliban decided not to revive the office.

Until August 1997, the government which the Taliban had ousted, which remained in rebellion until the end of the Taliban rule in 2001, had a prime minister in the government, but the position was abolished.

List of heads of government

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Name		Portrait	Lifespan	Term of office			Political party
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
Kingdom of Afghanistan (1926–1973)
	Shir Ahmad		c. 1885–?	25 October 1927	January 1929	1 year, 68 days	Independent
				Prime Minister; Deposed
	Shir Giyan		Died 1929	January 1929	1 November 1929	304 days	Independent
				Prime Minister; Deposed
	Mohammad Hashim Khan		1884–1953	1 November 1929	9 May 1946	16 years, 189 days	Independent
				Prime Minister; Member of the Barakzai dynasty
	Amanat Lewana		Unknown	c. 1944	c. 1946	c. 2 years	Unknown
				Prime Minister; Eastern Province only during the 1944–47 tribal revolts
	Shah Mahmud Khan		1890–1959	9 May 1946	7 September 1953	7 years, 121 days	Independent
				Prime Minister; Member of the Barakzai dynasty
	Mohammed Daoud Khan		1909–1978	7 September 1953	10 March 1963	9 years, 184 days	Independent
				Prime Minister; Member of the Barakzai dynasty
	Mohammad Yusuf		1917–1998	10 March 1963	2 November 1965	2 years, 237 days	Independent
				Prime Minister
	Mohammad Hashim Maiwandwal		1919–1973	2 November 1965	11 October 1967	1 year, 343 days	Independent (until 1966)
							Progressive Democratic Party
				Prime Minister
	Abdullah Yaqta		1914–2003	11 October 1967	1 November 1967	21 days	Independent
				Acting Prime Minister
	Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi		1921–1979	1 November 1967	9 June 1971	3 years, 220 days	Independent
				Prime Minister
	Abdul Zahir		1910–1982	9 June 1971	12 November 1972	1 year, 156 days	Independent
				Prime Minister
	Mohammad Musa Shafiq		1932–1979	12 November 1972	17 July 1973	247 days	Independent
				Prime Minister; Deposed
Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978)
Post abolished (17 July 1973–27 April 1978)
Democratic (Communist) Republic of Afghanistan (1978–1992)
	Nur Muhammad Taraki		1917–1979	1 May 1978	27 March 1979	330 days	People's Democratic Party (Khalq faction)
				Chairman of the Council of Ministers
	Hafizullah Amin		1929–1979	27 March 1979	27 December 1979	275 days	People's Democratic Party (Khalq faction)
				Chairman of the Council of Ministers; Assassinated
	Babrak Karmal		1929–1996	27 December 1979	11 June 1981	1 year, 166 days	People's Democratic Party (Parcham faction)
				Chairman of the Council of Ministers
	Sultan Ali Keshtmand		1935–	11 June 1981	26 May 1988	6 years, 350 days	People's Democratic Party (Parcham faction)
				Chairman of the Council of Ministers; First Tenure
	Mohammad Hasan Sharq		1925–	26 May 1988	21 February 1989	271 days	Independent
				Chairman of the Council of Ministers; Appointed as part of National Reconciliation process
	Sultan Ali Keshtmand		1935–	21 February 1989	8 May 1990	1 year, 76 days	People's Democratic Party (Parcham faction)
				Chairman of the Council of Ministers; Second Tenure
	Fazal Haq Khaliqyar		1934–2004	8 May 1990	15 April 1992	1 year, 343 days	People's Democratic Party (Parcham faction) (until June 1990)
							Homeland Party
				Chairman of the Council of Ministers; Resigned
Islamic State of Afghanistan (1992–2002)
	Abdul Sabur Farid Kohistani		1952–2007	6 July 1992	15 August 1992	40 days	Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin
				Prime Minister
Post vacant (15 August 1992–17 June 1993)
	Gulbuddin Hekmatyar		1947–	17 June 1993	28 June 1994	1 year, 11 days	Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin
				Prime Minister; First Tenure
	Arsala Rahmani Daulat		1937–2012	28 June 1994	1995	0–1 years	Islamic Dawah Organisation
				Acting Prime Minister
	Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai		1944–	1995	26 June 1996	0–1 years	Islamic Dawah Organisation
				Acting Prime Minister
	Gulbuddin Hekmatyar		1947–	26 June 1996	11 August 1997	1 year, 46 days	Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin
				Prime Minister; Second Tenure; The Islamic State remained the internationally recognized government, despite only controlling about 10% of Afghan territory
	Abdul Rahim Ghafoorzai		1947–1997	11 August 1997	21 August 1997	10 days	Independent
				Prime Minister; Killed in an aircraft crash
Post vacant (21 August 1997–13 July 2002)
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)
	Mullah Mohammad Rabbani		1955–2001	27 September 1996	13 April 2001	4 years, 198 days	Taliban
				Deputy Head of the Supreme Council; Prime Minister; Deputy leader of the Taliban; Died in office
	Maulavi Abdul Kabir		1958/1963–	16 April 2001	13 November 2001	211 days	Taliban
				Acting Deputy Head of the Supreme Council; Acting Prime Minister; Deposed

See also

• President of Afghanistan
• List of heads of state of Afghanistan
• Chief Executive (Afghanistan)

References

1.  This article incorporates public domain material from the Library of Congress document: Richard S. Newell (1997). Peter R. Blood (ed.). Afghanistan: A country study. Federal Research Division. The Constitutional Period, 1964-73.
2. Dugger, Celia W. (20 April 2001). "Muhammad Rabbani, Advocate of Some Moderation in Taliban". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 September 2012.

External links

• Internet Page that has copies of several Afghan Constitutions