Qadam Shah Shahim
General Qadam Shah Shahim is a senior Afghan army officer. He served as the Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army from May 2015 to April 2017 before resigning amid political fallout over the 2017 Camp Shaheen attack.
Qadam Shah Shahim | |
---|---|
Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army | |
In office 22 May 2015 – 24 April 2017 | |
President | Ashraf Ghani |
Preceded by | Sher Mohammad Karimi |
Afghan Ambassador to Kazakhstan[1] | |
Assumed office 27 April 2017 | |
President | Ashraf Ghani |
Preceded by | Mohammad Farooq Baraki |
Personal details | |
Born | 1962 (age 57–58) Tashkan, Badakhshan, Kingdom of Afghanistan |
Military service | |
Allegiance | |
Branch/service | |
Rank | |
Unit | 111st Capital Division |
Battles/wars | Soviet–Afghan War Afghan Civil War War in Afghanistan (2001–present) |
Early life and education
Shahim, an ethnic Tajik, was born in the Tashkan district of Badakhshan, in 1962 and attended Keshm High School, graduating in 1982.[2][3]
Military career
Early military career
From the early 1980s, Shahim fought with Jamiat-e Islami against the Soviets. He later fought against other mujahedin factions during the civil war, and then against the Taliban. In 1994, he was appointed as commander of 82 Regiment in Qargha, and in 1997 was made a Brigadier. In 2001, Shahim was commander of the 37th Brigade of Commandos and dealt often with foreign forces.[2]
Late military career
In 2007, he commanded the 1st Brigade of the 111st Capital Division, based in Kabul. In 2011, he was appointed as commander of the 111st Capital Division, which is half the size of a normal division. Shahim was wounded in the July 2014 attack on Kabul Airport and hospitalised in Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan hospital for further treatment. In May 2015, he was appointed as Chief of the General Staff of the Afghan National Army.[2] In August and September 2016, Shahim visited India in order to enhance ties with the Indian army and to seek new avenues for acquiring military equipment.[4]
References
- "Ex-Army Chief, Defense Minister Tipped As Ambassadors". ToloNews. 27 April 2017.
- "Shahim (Kossmadar Padare Abu Shamal), Qadam Shah, Maj Gen". Afghan Biographies. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- Kakar, Javed Hamim (19 May 2015). "Defence minister-designate, new army chief named". Pajhwok Afghan News. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- "Afghanistan army chief in India". Business Standard. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.