Jan Mohammed
Encyclopedia
Jan Mohammad Khan was a politician
in Afghanistan
, who served as Governor of Oruzgan Province from January 2002 to March 2006 and as member of the National Assembly
as well as a special adviser to President
Hamid Karzai
. He was an elder of the Popolzai Pashtun
tribe in Oruzgan and a close ally of Hamid Karzai.
political party of Afghanistan led by Burhanuddin Rabani in Uruzgan. He later joined Jabha-i-Nijat Milli or National Salvation Front, another jihadi movement led by Sibghatullah Mojaddedi
, and remained with the group until the victory of the mujaheddin. He lost an eye during the fighting and in later years gave differing accounts of how he sustained the injury. He was Oruzgan's governor for nearly four years under President Burhanuddin Rabani. Khan quit his job during the Taliban era and spent three years in a Kandahar jail on charges of working for former King Zahir Shah
.
Khan was a close friend of Karzai's father, Abdul Ahad Karzai
and was believed to mediate disputes among the Karzai brothers.
In early 2002, Karzai appointed Khan as Oruzgan's governor, a position he held until March 2006. Khan was widely seen as incompetent, corrupt, closely tied to the opium poppy trade, and inclined to favor his own Populzai tribe at the expense of Oruzgan's other tribes. Thus no western governments objected when President Karzai replaced Khan as governor, giving him a nominal job in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. In fact, Khan continued to meddle in Oruzgan's political affairs, often acting through his nephew, Matioolah Khan, a powerful and feared militia leader in the province.
Khan had four wives, from whom he had a total of 18 daughters and 16 sons, the oldest of whom was born about 1981. A fifth wife died under mysterious circumstances amid rumors that Khan had her killed.
Khan was appointed governor of Orugzan province in 2002. He was replaced by "Maulavi" Abdul Hakim Munib ("Maulavi" is a title indicating religious training) on March 18, 2006. The Dutch military assumed control from the U.S. of the Provincial Reconstruction Team four months after Khan's departure. Khan returned to the province frequently in the ensuing years, meddling unhelpfully in local politics. The Dutch left Oruzgan in 2010, leaving the U.S. and Australia to continue the mission there.
and killed him and MP
Hasham Watanwal also of Oruzgan. Some sources report that his bodyguards were killed as well. The attack began with a small explosion and bursts of gunfire, according to eyewitnesses. While one attacker was killed, at least one other attacker blew himself up. Some reports indicated a third attacker occupied Khan's home and were involved in an hours-long firefight with the Afghan National Army
and the Afghan National Police
. Afghan law enforcement had captured one attacker, who was carrying an AK-47
and a grenade launcher
, while another attacker continued the firefight from a bathroom. SAS members of New Zealand
were assisting and mentoring the Afghan security forces during the incident.
The Taliban took responsibility for Khan's killing. They stated that Khan's killing was a punishment for all his deeds in the past, but members of the Afghan National Assembly accused Pakistan
's Inter-Services Intelligence
(ISI). Afghanistan often blames Pakistan's ISI for supporting "terrorist" attacks inside Afghanistan. Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, the Interior Minister of Afghanistan, stated that the mobile phone
s recovered from the attackers showed incoming calls from Pakistan right before conducting the assassination. Others recall that Khan made many local enemies in southern Afghanistan over the years, within his own and competing tribes, and his death may have been the result of such a local feud.
Politics of Afghanistan
The politics of Afghanistan consists of the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly, with a president serving as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the military. The nation is currently led by the Karzai administration under President Hamid Karzai who is backed by two vice...
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...
, who served as Governor of Oruzgan Province from January 2002 to March 2006 and as member of the National Assembly
National Assembly
National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. The best known National Assembly, and the first legislature to be known by this title, was that established during the French Revolution in 1789, known as the Assemblée nationale...
as well as a special adviser to President
President of Afghanistan
Afghanistan has only been a republic between 1973 and 1992 and from 2001 onwards. Before 1973, it was a monarchy that was governed by a variety of kings, emirs or shahs...
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...
. He was an elder of the Popolzai 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...
tribe in Oruzgan and a close ally of Hamid Karzai.
Early years and personal life
Khan was illiterate. During the war against the Soviets he served as a commander in the Jamiat-e IslamiJamiat-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...
political party of Afghanistan led by Burhanuddin Rabani in Uruzgan. He later joined Jabha-i-Nijat Milli or National Salvation Front, another jihadi movement led by Sibghatullah Mojaddedi
Sibghatullah Mojaddedi
Sibghatullah Mojaddedi , served as the first President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan after the fall of the communist regime in 1992. He is also the leader of the Afghan National Liberation Front...
, and remained with the group until the victory of the mujaheddin. He lost an eye during the fighting and in later years gave differing accounts of how he sustained the injury. He was Oruzgan's governor for nearly four years under President Burhanuddin Rabani. Khan quit his job during the Taliban era and spent three years in a Kandahar jail on charges of working for former King Zahir Shah
Mohammed Zahir Shah
Mohammed Zahir Shah was the last King of Afghanistan, reigning for four decades, from 1933 until he was ousted by a coup in 1973...
.
Khan was a close friend of Karzai's father, Abdul Ahad Karzai
Abdul Ahad Karzai
Abdul Ahad Karzai was a politician in Afghanistan, who served as the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Afghanistan under King Zahir Shah in the 1960s. He was the son of Khair Mohammad Khan and father of current Afghan President Hamid Karzai...
and was believed to mediate disputes among the Karzai brothers.
In early 2002, Karzai appointed Khan as Oruzgan's governor, a position he held until March 2006. Khan was widely seen as incompetent, corrupt, closely tied to the opium poppy trade, and inclined to favor his own Populzai tribe at the expense of Oruzgan's other tribes. Thus no western governments objected when President Karzai replaced Khan as governor, giving him a nominal job in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. In fact, Khan continued to meddle in Oruzgan's political affairs, often acting through his nephew, Matioolah Khan, a powerful and feared militia leader in the province.
Khan had four wives, from whom he had a total of 18 daughters and 16 sons, the oldest of whom was born about 1981. A fifth wife died under mysterious circumstances amid rumors that Khan had her killed.
Governorship and dismissal
Assassination
On July 17, 2011, gunmen stormed Khan's home 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...
and killed him and MP
National Assembly of Afghanistan
The National Assembly is Afghanistan's national legislature. It is a bicameral body, comprising two chambers:*Wolesi Jirga or the House of the People: the 250-member lower house.*Meshrano Jirga ) or the House of Elders: an upper house with 102 seats....
Hasham Watanwal also of Oruzgan. Some sources report that his bodyguards were killed as well. The attack began with a small explosion and bursts of gunfire, according to eyewitnesses. While one attacker was killed, at least one other attacker blew himself up. Some reports indicated a third attacker occupied Khan's home and were involved in an hours-long firefight with the Afghan National Army
Afghan National Army
The Afghan National Army is a service branch of the military of Afghanistan, which is currently trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the role in land-based military operations in Afghanistan. , the Afghan National Army is divided into seven regional Corps. The strength of the Afghan...
and the Afghan National Police
Afghan National Police
The Afghan National Police - ANP - is the primary national police force in Afghanistan. It serves as a single law enforcement agency all across the country. The Afghan police force was first created with the establishment of the Afghan nation in the early 18th century...
. Afghan law enforcement had captured one attacker, who was carrying an AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
and a grenade launcher
Grenade launcher
A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
, while another attacker continued the firefight from a bathroom. SAS members of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
were assisting and mentoring the Afghan security forces during the incident.
The Taliban took responsibility for Khan's killing. They stated that Khan's killing was a punishment for all his deeds in the past, but members of the Afghan National Assembly accused Pakistan
Pakistan
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...
's Inter-Services Intelligence
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
(ISI). Afghanistan often blames Pakistan's ISI for supporting "terrorist" attacks inside Afghanistan. Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, the Interior Minister of Afghanistan, stated that the mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s recovered from the attackers showed incoming calls from Pakistan right before conducting the assassination. Others recall that Khan made many local enemies in southern Afghanistan over the years, within his own and competing tribes, and his death may have been the result of such a local feud.