Prime Minister of Afghanistan

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Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
  • د افغانستان د اسلامي امارت لومړی وزیر (Pashto)
    Də Afġānistān Islāmī Imārat lomři ozīr
  • رئیس الوزرای امارت اسلامی افغانستان (Dari)
    Raʾīs al-ozrāi Imārat-i Islāmī-yi Afghānistān
Arms of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.svg
Hasan Akhund.png
Incumbent
Hasan Akhund
Acting
 since 7 September 2021 [lower-alpha 1]
Government of Afghanistan
Type Head of government
Member of Cabinet
Reports to Leadership
Seat Kabul
Appointer Supreme Leader
Term length At the pleasure of the supreme leader
Constituting instrument 1998 dastur
Formation
  • 25 October 1927 (1927-10-25) (original)
  • 7 September 2021 (2021-09-07) (current form)
First holder Shir Ahmad
SuccessionNo (Deputy Leader succeeds Supreme Leader)
DeputyDeputy Prime Minister
Salary Afs.  198,250 monthly [3]
Website Office of the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister

The prime minister of Afghanistan, officially the prime minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan [note 1] , is the head of government of Afghanistan. [4]

Contents

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. The post was abolished after the US invasion that ousted the Taliban regime, after which a presidential form of government was established which lasted from 2004 to 2021. After the US withdrawal and the re-establishment of the Taliban rule, the post was revived.

The prime minister and government are subject to the instruction of the supreme leader. [5] On September 7, 2021 the Taliban officials who exercised de facto control of Afghanistan announced Islamic scholar Hasan Akhund as acting prime minister in a new interim government of the recently re-established Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. [6]

History

Kingdom

The chairman of the Council of Ministers was not the prime minister, but the king. Only during his absence was the prime minister the acting chairman of the Council.

Until 1963, King Mohammad Zahir Shah appointed his relatives as prime ministers. The king 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 the king 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. [7]

Democratic Republic

In April 1978, Mohammad 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

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.

Islamic Emirate

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, [8] the Taliban decided not to revive the office.

Until September 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.

On September 7, 2021, the Taliban reinstated the position of prime minister.

List of prime ministers

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

NamePortraitLifespanTerm of officePolitical affiliation
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Kingdom of Afghanistan (1926–1973)
Shir Ahmad No image.svg c.1885–?25 October 1927January 19291 year, 2 months Independent
Prime Minister; Deposed.
Shir Giyan No image.svg died 1929January 19291 November 192910 months Independent
Prime Minister; Deposed.
Mohammad Hashim Khan Mohammad Hashim Khan - NAC - PIC 1-E-222.jpg 1884–19531 November 19299 May 194616 years, 189 days Independent
Prime Minister; Member of the Barakzai dynasty.
Amanat Lewana No image.svg Unknownc.1944c.1946c.2 yearsUnknown
Prime Minister under king Salemai; Eastern Province only during the 1944–47 tribal revolts.
Shah Mahmud Khan No image.svg 1890–19599 May 19467 September 1953 [9] 7 years, 121 days Independent
Prime Minister; Member of the Barakzai dynasty.
Mohammad Daoud Khan Sardar Mohammed Daud.jpg 1909–19787 September 195310 March 19639 years, 184 days Independent
Prime Minister; Member of the Barakzai dynasty.
Mohammad Yusuf No image.svg 1917–199810 March 19632 November 19652 years, 237 days Independent
Prime Minister.
Mohammad Hashim Maiwandwal Mohammad Hashim Maiwandwal.jpg 1919–19732 November 196511 October 19671 year, 343 days Independent
(until 1966)
Progressive Democratic Party
Prime Minister.
Abdullah Yaqta No image.svg 1914–200311 October 19671 November 196721 days Independent
Acting Prime Minister.
Mohammad Nur Ahmad Etemadi No image.svg 1921–19791 November 19679 June 19713 years, 220 days Independent
Prime Minister.
Abdul Zahir Abdul Zahir White House.png 1910–19829 June 197112 November 19721 year, 156 days Independent
Prime Minister.
Mohammad Musa Shafiq No image.svg 1932–197912 November 197217 July 1973247 days Independent
Prime Minister; Deposed during the 1973 coup d'état. [10]
Post abolished (17 July 1973 – 1 May 1978)
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978–1992)
Nur Muhammad Taraki Nur Muhammad Taraki.png 1917–19791 May 197827 March 1979330 days People's Democratic Party
(Khalq faction)
Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
Hafizullah Amin No image.svg 1929–197927 March 197927 December 1979275 days People's Democratic Party
(Khalq faction)
Chairman of the Council of Ministers; Assassinated by Soviet special forces during the Operation Storm-333. [11]
Babrak Karmal No image.svg 1929–199627 December 197911 June 19811 year, 166 days People's Democratic Party
(Parcham faction)
Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
Sultan Ali Keshtmand No image.svg born 193511 June 198126 May 19886 years, 350 days People's Democratic Party
(Parcham faction)
Chairman of the Council of Ministers; First tenure.
Mohammad Hasan Sharq No image.svg born 192526 May 198821 February 1989271 days Independent
Chairman of the Council of Ministers; Appointed as part of the National Reconciliation process.
Sultan Ali Keshtmand No image.svg born 193521 February 19898 May 19901 year, 76 days People's Democratic Party
(Parcham faction)
Chairman of the Council of Ministers; Second tenure.
Fazal Haq Khaliqyar No image.svg 1934–20048 May 199015 April 19921 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 No image.svg 1952–20076 July 199215 August 199240 days Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin
Prime Minister.
Post vacant (15 August 1992 – 17 June 1993)
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, BBC Persian - Sep 28, 2019.jpg born 194717 June 199328 June 19941 year, 11 days Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin
Prime Minister; First tenure.
Arsala Rahmani Daulat No image.svg 1937–201228 June 199419951 year Ittehad-e Islami
Acting Prime Minister.
Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai No image.svg 1944–2021199526 June 19961 year Ittehad-e Islami
Acting Prime Minister.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, BBC Persian - Sep 28, 2019.jpg born 194726 June 199611 August 19971 year, 46 days Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin
Prime Minister; Second tenure; Fled Kabul following its fall to the Taliban on 27 September 1996; [12] Continued to serve as Prime Minister in areas controlled by the Northern Alliance during the 1996–2001 Civil War; Between 1996 and 2001, the Islamic State remained the internationally recognized government, despite only controlling about 10% of Afghan territory.
Abdul Rahim Ghafoorzai No image.svg 1947–199711 August 199721 August 199710 days Independent
Prime Minister; Served only in areas controlled by the Northern Alliance due to the 1996–2001 Civil War; Between 1996 and 2001, the Islamic State remained the internationally recognized government, despite only controlling about 10% of Afghan territory; Killed in an aircraft crash.
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)
Mullah
Mohammad Rabbani
No image.svg 1955–200127 September 199613 April 20014 years, 198 days Taliban
Deputy Head of the Supreme Council; Prime Minister; Deputy leader of the Taliban; Died in office; [13] Between 1996 and 2001, the Islamic Emirate never attained widespread international recognition, despite controlling about 90% of Afghan territory.
Mawlawi
Abdul Kabir
Abdul Kabir 2021.jpg born 195816 April 200113 November 2001211 days Taliban
Acting Deputy Head of the Supreme Council; Acting Prime Minister; Deposed during the fall of Kabul. [14]
Post abolished (13 November 2001 – 7 September 2021)
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (2021–present)
Mullah
Hasan Akhund
Hasan Akhund.png between 1945 and 1958 [15] 7 September 2021Incumbent2 years, 172 days Taliban
Acting Prime Minister; The Islamic Emirate is currently not internationally recognized, despite controlling all Afghan territory. [16] [17] Hasan Akhund spent 17 May to 17 July 2023 in Kandahar recovering from an illness, during which his deputy Abdul Kabir carried out the duties of the prime minister. [1] [2]
Mawlawi
Abdul Kabir
Abdul Kabir 2021.jpg born 195817 May 202317 July 202361 days Taliban
Acting Prime Minister pro tempore while Hasan Akhund was recovering from an illness. [18] [1] [2]

Timeline

Hasan AkhundAbdul KabirAbdul Rahim GhafoorzaiMohammad RabbaniAhmad Shah AhmadzaiArsala Rahmani DaulatGulbuddin HekmatyarAbdul Sabur Farid KohistaniFazal Haq KhaliqyarMohammad Hasan SharqSultan Ali KeshtmandBabrak KarmalHafizullah AminNur Muhammad TarakiMohammad Musa ShafiqAbdul Zahir (politician)Mohammad Nur Ahmad EtemadiAbdullah YaqtaMohammad Hashim MaiwandwalMohammad Yusuf (politician)Mohammad Daoud KhanShah Mahmud KhanAmanat LewanaMohammad Hashim KhanShir GiyanShir AhmadPrime Minister of Afghanistan

Notes

  1. Deputy Abdul Kabir carried out the duties of acting prime minister from 17 May 2023 to 17 July 2023 while Hasan Akhund was recovering from an illness. [1] [2]
  1. Pashto: د افغانستان د افغانستان د اسلامي امارت لومړی وزیر, romanized: Də Afġānistān Islāmī Imārat lomři ozīr; Dari: رئیس الوزرای امارت اسلامی افغانستان, romanized: Raʾīs al-ozrāi Imārat-i Islāmī-yi Afghānistān

See also

Related Research Articles

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