Abdul Wahid Baba Jan
Encyclopedia
General Abdul Wahid Baba Jan, an ethnic Tajik from Parwan province and better known simply as "General Babajan", was a member of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
during the presidency of Dr. Najibullah
. He was promoted to General and was the commander of the Kabul Garrison during the fall of Dr. Najibullah's government until he joined the forces of Ahmed Shah Massoud
and Jamiat-e Islami
, where he was a member of the senior command. According to some sources he was in charge of directing the long-range rockets used against Hezbe Wahdat
and Hezb-i Islami. The same report states that a battalion commander under his command, Habiburahman Parandi
, controlled the areas above Kart-i-Sakhi hill up to a part of Ministry of Agriculture and commanded an artillery battery.. Units under his command were also involved in the massacres at Afshar
.
After the defeat of the Mujahideen, General Babajan joined the Northern Alliance
. In October 2001, when the attacks against the Taliban by American forces began, General Babajan was controlling approximately 2000 forces at Bagram Airbase. Following the fall of the Taliban he was appointed as Chief of Police for Kabul in 2003 replacing Abdul Baseer Salangi
. In 2005 he was transferred to Herat. He has since retired from official politics and moved to business, and was able to secure a lucrative contract to supply forces at Bagram Airbase.
His nephew has been linked with corruption. Afghan International Trucking run by the nephew of the General was reported to be paying USD 20,000 a month in kickbacks to a US Army contracting official. Baba Jan himself claims to have no knowledge of his relative's dealings.
People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan was a communist party established on the 1 January 1965. While a minority, the party helped former president of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daoud Khan, to overthrow his cousin, Mohammed Zahir Shah, and established Daoud's Republic of Afghanistan...
during the presidency of Dr. Najibullah
Mohammad Najibullah
Mohammad Najibullah Ahmadzai , originally merely Najibullah, was the fourth and last President of the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. He is also considered the second President of the Republic of Afghanistan.-Early years:Najibullah was born in August 1947 to the Ahmadzai...
. He was promoted to General and was the commander of the Kabul Garrison during the fall of Dr. Najibullah's government until he joined the forces of Ahmed Shah Massoud
Ahmed Shah Massoud
Ahmad Shah Massoud was a Kabul University engineering student turned military leader who played a leading role in driving the Soviet army out of Afghanistan, earning him the name Lion of Panjshir. His followers call him Āmir Sāhib-e Shahīd...
and Jamiat-e Islami
Jamiat-e Islami
Jamiat-e Islami , is an Islamic political party in Afghanistan along the line of the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt. Jamiat-e Islami means "Islamic society" in the Persian language and is also known as just Jamiat for short. Jamiat is the oldest Islamic political party in Afghanistan...
, where he was a member of the senior command. According to some sources he was in charge of directing the long-range rockets used against Hezbe Wahdat
Hezbe Wahdat
Hizb-e Wahdat-e Islami Afghanistan has been an important political and military player in Afghanistan since its founding in 1989. Like most contemporary major political parties in Afghanistan, Hizb-e Wahdat is rooted in the turbulent period of the anti-Soviet resistance movements in Afghanistan in...
and Hezb-i Islami. The same report states that a battalion commander under his command, Habiburahman Parandi
Habiburahman Parandi
Habiburahman Parandi was a Tajik battalion commander of Baba Jan's regiment during the Siege of Kabul. He controlled the areas above Kart-i-Sakhi hill up to a part of Ministry of Agriculture and commanded a battalion of artillery.-References:...
, controlled the areas above Kart-i-Sakhi hill up to a part of Ministry of Agriculture and commanded an artillery battery.. Units under his command were also involved in the massacres at Afshar
Afshar
Afshar is a district of Kabul, Afghanistan. Most of its population are of the Shia-Hazara ethnic group....
.
After the defeat of the Mujahideen, General Babajan joined the Northern Alliance
Northern Alliance
The Afghan Northern Alliance is a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996.Northern Alliance may also refer to:*Northern Alliance , a Canadian white supremacist group...
. In October 2001, when the attacks against the Taliban by American forces began, General Babajan was controlling approximately 2000 forces at Bagram Airbase. Following the fall of the Taliban he was appointed as Chief of Police for Kabul in 2003 replacing Abdul Baseer Salangi
Abdul Baseer Salangi
Abdul Baseer Salangi is the current Governor of Parwan Province, Afghanistan, since 6 May 2009, and was a major commander in the Afghan Civil War, aligned with Jamiat-e Islami and Ahmad Shah Massoud...
. In 2005 he was transferred to Herat. He has since retired from official politics and moved to business, and was able to secure a lucrative contract to supply forces at Bagram Airbase.
His nephew has been linked with corruption. Afghan International Trucking run by the nephew of the General was reported to be paying USD 20,000 a month in kickbacks to a US Army contracting official. Baba Jan himself claims to have no knowledge of his relative's dealings.