Abdul Qadir (Afghan leader)
Encyclopedia
Hajji
Abdul Qadir Arsala (c. 1951 in Jalalabad
, Afghanistan
-July 6, 2002 in Kabul
, Afghanistan) was a former anti-Taliban leader in the United Islamic Front
(Northern Alliance) in Afghanistan
. After the fall of the Taliban regime he became a Vice President
of Afghanistan in the administration of Hamid Karzai
as well as the Minister of Public Works.
Abdul Qadir was the governor of his home province of Nangarhar from 1992 to 1996 before the Taliban gained power. He shortly retook the position after the fall of the Taliban regime
in October 2001. The capital of Nangarhar is the famous city of Jalalabad
.
Qadir belonged to one of the most influential, affluent and prominent families in the east of Afghanistan. Qadir was the brother of Abdul Haq
, a famous Pashtun
anti-Soviet and anti-Taliban resistance leader who was executed in late 2001 by the Taliban.
in 1996, but soon ran into trouble with the authorities because of his anti-Taliban stand and left for Germany
. For three years he shuttled between Dubai
, where he ran a successful trading business, and Germany until he returned to Afghanistan to join the United Islamic Front
led by Ahmad Shah Massoud, fighting the Taliban. Qadir's presence in the alliance ensured its influence in the largely Pashtun east of Afghanistan.
The United Front included forces and leaders from different political backgrounds as well as from all Afghan ethnicities including Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbek
s, Hazaras or Turkmens
. From the Taliban conquest in 1996 until November 2001 the United Front controlled roughly 30% of Afghanistan's population in provinces such as Badakhshan
, Kapisa
, Takhar
and parts of Parwan, Kunar
, Nuristan, Laghman, Samangan
, Kunduz, Ghōr and Bamyan. Ahmad Shah Massoud did not intend for the United Front to become the ruling government of Afghanistan. His vision was for the United Front to help establish a new government, where the various ethnic groups would share power and live in peace through a democratic form of government.
Qadir's younger brother Abdul Haq
, a famous anti-Soviet resistance fighter, was assassinated by suspected Taliban agents on October 29, 2001. Haq, involved in the campaign to topple the Taliban, had secretly re-entered Afghanistan from northwest Pakistan. He was attempting to rally anti-Taliban support among the Pashtuns when he was captured by Taliban intelligence in the eastern region and executed. This coincided with another rebellion in the south led by another anti-Taliban Pashtun United Islamic Front
-leader, Hamid Karzai
, who was more fortunate in evading Taliban attempts to capture him.
and Hajji
Mohammed Zaman
, to form the so-called Eastern Shura
.
He accompanied Hamid Karzai
on a trip to Bonn in the fall of 2001. Subsequently Afghan president Karzai nominated Qadir to be one of the Vice Presidents of Afghanistan
, and Minister of Public Works. Qadir was alleged to have had connections with those engaged in Afghanistan's opium poppy
trade.
, in 2002. Another of his sons, Zahir Qadir
, is a military leader in Hamid Karzai
's government.
His family had ties to former king Zahir Shah.
Hajji
Hajji or El-Hajj, is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca, and is often used to refer to an elder, since it can take time to accumulate the wealth to fund the travel. The title is placed before a person's name...
Abdul Qadir Arsala (c. 1951 in Jalalabad
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
-July 6, 2002 in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan) was a former anti-Taliban leader in the United Islamic Front
United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan
The United Islamic Front , known in the West and Pakistan as the Northern Alliance, was a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996 under the leadership of Defense Minister Ahmad Shah Massoud...
(Northern Alliance) in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. After the fall of the Taliban regime he became a Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
of Afghanistan in the administration of Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
as well as the Minister of Public Works.
Abdul Qadir was the governor of his home province of Nangarhar from 1992 to 1996 before the Taliban gained power. He shortly retook the position after the fall of the Taliban regime
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
in October 2001. The capital of Nangarhar is the famous city of Jalalabad
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
.
Qadir belonged to one of the most influential, affluent and prominent families in the east of Afghanistan. Qadir was the brother of Abdul Haq
Abdul Haq (Afghan leader)
Abdul Haq was an Afghan Pashtun mujahideen commander who fought against the Soviets and Afghan communists during the Soviet-Afghan War...
, a famous Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
anti-Soviet and anti-Taliban resistance leader who was executed in late 2001 by the Taliban.
Resistance against the Soviet invasion
Abdul Qadir's involvement in Afghan politics predated the 1979 Soviet invasion, but, during the ensuing war, he was a key commander with the Hezb-e Islami Khalis faction. After the fall of the Afghan communist regime in 1992 he was appointed governor of Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan.Resistance against the Taliban
On September 27, 1996, the Taliban took power in Kabul with military support by Pakistan and financial support by Saudi Arabia. Qadir took refuge in neighbouring PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in 1996, but soon ran into trouble with the authorities because of his anti-Taliban stand and left for Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. For three years he shuttled between Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, where he ran a successful trading business, and Germany until he returned to Afghanistan to join the United Islamic Front
United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan
The United Islamic Front , known in the West and Pakistan as the Northern Alliance, was a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996 under the leadership of Defense Minister Ahmad Shah Massoud...
led by Ahmad Shah Massoud, fighting the Taliban. Qadir's presence in the alliance ensured its influence in the largely Pashtun east of Afghanistan.
The United Front included forces and leaders from different political backgrounds as well as from all Afghan ethnicities including Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbek
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
s, Hazaras or Turkmens
Turkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
. From the Taliban conquest in 1996 until November 2001 the United Front controlled roughly 30% of Afghanistan's population in provinces such as Badakhshan
Badakhshan Province
Badakhshan is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, consisting of 28 districts. It is located in the north-east of the country, between the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya. It is part of the Badakhshan region.-Geography:...
, Kapisa
Kapisa Province
Kapisa is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the north-east of the country. Its capital is Mahmud-i-Raqi, and other districts include Kohistan, Nijrab and Tagab. The population of Kapisa is estimated to be 364,900, although there has never been an official estimate...
, Takhar
Takhar Province
Takhār is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It was established in 1964 when Qataghan Province was divided into three provinces: Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar. It is in the north-east of the country. Its capital is Taloqan. Its salt mines are one of Afghanistan's major mineral resources...
and parts of Parwan, Kunar
Kunar Province
Kunar is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. It is one of the four "N2KL" provinces...
, Nuristan, Laghman, Samangan
Samangan Province
Samangan is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. The province covers and has a population of approximately 313,211, as of 2006.Its capital, Samangan, is known for its ancient ruins including, notably, the Takht e Rostam...
, Kunduz, Ghōr and Bamyan. Ahmad Shah Massoud did not intend for the United Front to become the ruling government of Afghanistan. His vision was for the United Front to help establish a new government, where the various ethnic groups would share power and live in peace through a democratic form of government.
Qadir's younger brother Abdul Haq
Abdul Haq (Afghan leader)
Abdul Haq was an Afghan Pashtun mujahideen commander who fought against the Soviets and Afghan communists during the Soviet-Afghan War...
, a famous anti-Soviet resistance fighter, was assassinated by suspected Taliban agents on October 29, 2001. Haq, involved in the campaign to topple the Taliban, had secretly re-entered Afghanistan from northwest Pakistan. He was attempting to rally anti-Taliban support among the Pashtuns when he was captured by Taliban intelligence in the eastern region and executed. This coincided with another rebellion in the south led by another anti-Taliban Pashtun United Islamic Front
United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan
The United Islamic Front , known in the West and Pakistan as the Northern Alliance, was a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996 under the leadership of Defense Minister Ahmad Shah Massoud...
-leader, Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
, who was more fortunate in evading Taliban attempts to capture him.
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan: Vice Presidency
After the fall of the Taliban regime Qadir joined with two other leaders, Hazrat AliHazrat Ali
Hajji Hazrat Ali bin Bahawal Sheir is a military commander in eastern Afghanistan.-Biography:He was born in 1964 and is an ethnic Pashai....
and Hajji
Hajji
Hajji or El-Hajj, is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca, and is often used to refer to an elder, since it can take time to accumulate the wealth to fund the travel. The title is placed before a person's name...
Mohammed Zaman
Mohammed Zaman
Hajji Mohammed Zaman was a Pashtun Afghan military leader and politician.Zaman led a force of 4,000 men during the campaign to oust Afghanistan's Soviet occupiers....
, to form the so-called Eastern Shura
Eastern Shura
During the American aerial bombardment of Afghanistan, when the United States struck at Afghanistan's Taliban regime, regional and tribal leaders rose up to oust the Taliban in Khowst Province and Nangarhar Province formed an alliance known as the Eastern Shura...
.
He accompanied Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
on a trip to Bonn in the fall of 2001. Subsequently Afghan president Karzai nominated Qadir to be one of the Vice Presidents of Afghanistan
Vice President of Afghanistan
The Vice President of Afghanistan is the second highest political position obtainable in Afghanistan. Vice Presidents are elected in the same ticket as the President. The current Vice Presidents are Mohammad Qasim Fahim and Karim Khalili .-External links:** *List of current Vice Presidents...
, and Minister of Public Works. Qadir was alleged to have had connections with those engaged in Afghanistan's opium poppy
Opium poppy
Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the species of plant from which opium and poppy seeds are extracted. Opium is the source of many opiates, including morphine , thebaine, codeine, papaverine, and noscapine...
trade.
July 6, 2002 (death)
On July 6, 2002, Qadir and his son-in-law were killed by gunmen in a surprise attack with unknown motive. In 2004, one man was sentenced to death and two others to prison sentences for the killing. Abdul Qadir's son, Haji Mohammed Zaher, was shot dead in KabulKabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, in 2002. Another of his sons, Zahir Qadir
Zahir Qadir
Hajji Zahir Qadir is a member of parliament in Afghanistan.He formerly was a General in Afghanistan's Border Guard.Zahir Qadir is the son of Abdul Qadir a senior member of the anti-Taliban United Islamic Front , and one of the first Vice Presidents of the Afghan Transitional Administration...
, is a military leader in Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
's government.
Personal
Abdul Qadir belonged to one of the most influential, affluent and prominent families in the east of Afghanistan.His family had ties to former king Zahir Shah.
See also
- Afridi (Pashtun)
- Zahir Shah
- Ahmad Shah Massoud
- Mohammed FahimMohammed FahimMohammad Qasim Fahim is an Afghan military commander, politician and the First Vice President since November 2009. He was the Defense Minister of the Afghan Transitional Administration, beginning in 2002 and also served as Vice President from June 2002 to December 2004...
- Abdurrashid Dostum