Abdul Qadir Dagarwal
Encyclopedia
Abdul Qadir Dagarwal a colonel, was the leader of the Afghan Air Force squadrons that attacked the Radio-TV Station during the 1978 Coup that started the Saur Revolution
.
Ironically, he also participated in the 1973 Coup that created the Daoud Republic of Afghanistan under the Presidency of Mohammad Daoud Khan. He served as the leader of the country for 3 days, when the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
took power and declared the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
. He was born in 1944 in Herat
and trained as a pilot in the USSR
.
Mohammad Daoud Khan led the coup with General Abdul Karim Mustaghni, who had been Chief of Staff
of the armed forces.
Daoud promised radical land reform, the legalisation of political parties and other reforms. The Parcham
was offered four minister posts in Daoud's government. As a Parcham member, Qadir was nominated vice-commander of the Afghan air force, while another Parcham supporter, Major Zia Mohammadzi Zia, was appointed head of the Afghan army. However, by 1974 Daoud removed and downgraded many of the Parcham ministers in the government. Qadir was thus downgraded to head of Kabul
's Military abattoir. Many Parcham supporters, including Major Qadir, shifted allegiance to Khalq
.
Suddenly in April 1978, Daoud and his hardline interior minister, General Abdul Qadir Khan Nuristani, launched a sharp government crackdown on the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
(PDPA). It proved to be a miscalculation. Major Qadir and Colonel Mohammad Aslam Watanjar, another leading PDPA member in the military, narrowly escaped arrest and early on April 27 Hafizullah Amin
was able to smuggle out the order to restart the coup.
. The government fell, and Daoud was killed.
At 7:00 P.M. on April 27, Qadir made an announcement over Radio Afghanistan, in the Dari language
, that a Revolutionary Council of the Armed Forces had been established, with himself at its head. The council's initial statement of principles, issued late in the evening of April 27, was a noncommittal affirmation of Islamic, democratic, and nonaligned ideals:
The Revolutionary Council
was formed by himself, Hafizullah Amin
, and Major Mohammad Aslam Watanjar
, it assumed the control of the country until a civilian government was formed.
On April 30 the newly created PDPA's Revolutionary Council (with Nur Mohammad Taraki and Babrak Karmal
in its leadership) issued the first of a series of fateful decrees. The decree formally abolished the military’s revolutionary council. A second decree, issued on May 1, named the members of the first cabinet that included Qadir as Minister of Defense.
for advice on how to deal with all the people under arrest. On August 17, Qadir, still defense minister, was arrested for his part in a conspiracy
that allegedly had been organized by the Parcham
s exiled abroad. Since Qadir remained popular in the military, President Taraki didn't dare to kill him. Instead he was sentenced to fifteen years in jail
.
The policy of Taraki and Hafizullah Amin
to get rid of people they considered unsuitable in order to concentrate all power in their own hands became very apparent. Prime Minister
Amin later reported:
of Afghanistan in 1979 which assassinated Hafizullah Amin
, Qadir was released from jail under the new regime of Babrak Karmal
, the political posts he held in the PDPA before being sent to jail were restored. He served once again as Minister of Defense (1982- 1985) during the Babrak Administration.
After the Soviet Invasion, Kabul was put in a state of siege. The bridges were blocked, barriers and hidden ambushes were set up on all the roads leading into the city. Qadir was made commander of the city. As part of the changes in the leadership of the country, he resigned from the Politburo
in November, 1985, a year later was appointed Ambassador to Warsaw
, Poland
by President Mohammad Najibullah
. He was recalled to Afghanistan in 1988, were he got elected to Parliament
. After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989
it was believed he fled to Bulgaria
and sought political asylum
.
Saur Revolution
The Saur Revolution is the name given to the Communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan takeover of political power from the government of Afghanistan on 28 April 1978. The word 'Saur', i.e...
.
Ironically, he also participated in the 1973 Coup that created the Daoud Republic of Afghanistan under the Presidency of Mohammad Daoud Khan. He served as the leader of the country for 3 days, when the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
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...
took power and declared the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan
The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was a government of Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. It was both ideologically close to and economically dependent on the Soviet Union, and was a major belligerent of the Afghan Civil War.- Saur Revolution :...
. He was born in 1944 in Herat
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
and trained as a pilot in the USSR
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
The Republican Revolution of 1973
Former Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Afghanistan
The Prime Minister of Afghanistan is a currently defunct post in the Afghan Government.The position was created in 1927, and was appointed by the king, mostly as an advisor, until the end of the monarchy in 1973...
Mohammad Daoud Khan led the coup with General Abdul Karim Mustaghni, who had been Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
of the armed forces.
Daoud promised radical land reform, the legalisation of political parties and other reforms. The Parcham
Parcham
Parcham was the name of one of the factions of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. The Parcham faction seized power in the country after toppling Hafizullah Amin....
was offered four minister posts in Daoud's government. As a Parcham member, Qadir was nominated vice-commander of the Afghan air force, while another Parcham supporter, Major Zia Mohammadzi Zia, was appointed head of the Afghan army. However, by 1974 Daoud removed and downgraded many of the Parcham ministers in the government. Qadir was thus downgraded to head of 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...
's Military abattoir. Many Parcham supporters, including Major Qadir, shifted allegiance to Khalq
Khalq
Khalq was a faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. Its historical leaders were Presidents Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin. It was also the name of the leftist newspaper produced by the same movement. It was supported by the USSR and was formed in 1965 when the PDPA was born...
.
Suddenly in April 1978, Daoud and his hardline interior minister, General Abdul Qadir Khan Nuristani, launched a sharp government crackdown on the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
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...
(PDPA). It proved to be a miscalculation. Major Qadir and Colonel Mohammad Aslam Watanjar, another leading PDPA member in the military, narrowly escaped arrest and early on April 27 Hafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin was the second President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan....
was able to smuggle out the order to restart the coup.
The Saur Revolution
He also ordered the attack against the Arg, and against the Royal Palace of President Mohammad Daoud Khan. The tank commander on the ground was Colonel Aslam Watanjar, of the first battalion of the 4th tank brigade. Together, the troops under their command took 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...
. The government fell, and Daoud was killed.
At 7:00 P.M. on April 27, Qadir made an announcement over Radio Afghanistan, in the Dari language
Dari (Eastern Persian)
Dari or Fārsī-ye Darī in historical terms refers to the Persian court language of the Sassanids. In contemporary usage, the term refers to the dialects of modern Persian language spoken in Afghanistan, and hence known as Afghan Persian in some Western sources. It is the term officially recognized...
, that a Revolutionary Council of the Armed Forces had been established, with himself at its head. The council's initial statement of principles, issued late in the evening of April 27, was a noncommittal affirmation of Islamic, democratic, and nonaligned ideals:
The Revolutionary Council
Revolutionary Council (Afghanistan)
The Revolutionary Council of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan ruled the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1978 until its collapse in 1992. The council was the supreme state power under the communist regime and was a carbon copy of the Supreme Soviet...
was formed by himself, Hafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin was the second President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan....
, and Major Mohammad Aslam Watanjar
Mohammad Aslam Watanjar
Mohammad Aslam Watanjar was an Afghan General and Politician. ] He started the "Saur Revolution".Watanjar later became a member of the politburo in the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, playing prominent roles in the communist coup as well as the coup that overthrew the...
, it assumed the control of the country until a civilian government was formed.
On April 30 the newly created PDPA's Revolutionary Council (with Nur Mohammad Taraki and Babrak Karmal
Babrak Karmal
Babrak Karmal was the third President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. He is the best known of the Marxist leadership....
in its leadership) issued the first of a series of fateful decrees. The decree formally abolished the military’s revolutionary council. A second decree, issued on May 1, named the members of the first cabinet that included Qadir as Minister of Defense.
Member of the Khalqist Government
He became minister of defense, for three months starting in May, 1978. On May 6, Qadir asked the Soviet commandersSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
for advice on how to deal with all the people under arrest. On August 17, Qadir, still defense minister, was arrested for his part in a conspiracy
Conspiracy (political)
In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'état or through assassination....
that allegedly had been organized by the Parcham
Parcham
Parcham was the name of one of the factions of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan. The Parcham faction seized power in the country after toppling Hafizullah Amin....
s exiled abroad. Since Qadir remained popular in the military, President Taraki didn't dare to kill him. Instead he was sentenced to fifteen years in jail
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
.
The policy of Taraki and Hafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin was the second President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan....
to get rid of people they considered unsuitable in order to concentrate all power in their own hands became very apparent. Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Amin later reported:
Member of the Parchami Government
After the Soviet invasionSoviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
of Afghanistan in 1979 which assassinated Hafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin was the second President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan....
, Qadir was released from jail under the new regime of Babrak Karmal
Babrak Karmal
Babrak Karmal was the third President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. He is the best known of the Marxist leadership....
, the political posts he held in the PDPA before being sent to jail were restored. He served once again as Minister of Defense (1982- 1985) during the Babrak Administration.
After the Soviet Invasion, Kabul was put in a state of siege. The bridges were blocked, barriers and hidden ambushes were set up on all the roads leading into the city. Qadir was made commander of the city. As part of the changes in the leadership of the country, he resigned from the Politburo
Politburo of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
At its foundation the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan Central Committee consisted of:- First Poltiburo permanent members :The PDPA held its First Congress on January 1, 1965...
in November, 1985, a year later was appointed Ambassador to Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
by President Mohammad 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 recalled to Afghanistan in 1988, were he got elected to Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989
Soviet troop withdrawal from Afghanistan
The Withdrawal of Soviet combatant forces from the Afghanistan began on May 15, 1988 and successfully executed on February 15, 1989 under the leadership of Colonel-General Boris Gromov who also was the last Soviet general officer to walk from the Asfghanistan back into Soviet territory through the...
it was believed he fled to Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and sought political asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
.