Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai
Encyclopedia
Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai is an Afghan politician
. He served as the prime minister of Afghanistan from 1995 to 1996. He is an ethnic Pashtun
from the Ahmadzai
sub-tribe.
, Kabul
. He studied engineering
at Kabul University
and then worked in the agriculture ministry. In 1972 he received a scholarship to study in the United States, at Colorado State University
. He received a master's degree in 1975 and became a professor at King Faisal University
in Saudi Arabia
.
Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
in 1979, Ahmadzai returned to his country to join the mujahideen
s. He was a close associate of Burhanuddin Rabbani
but then left his group and joined Abdul Rasul Sayyaf
's Islamic Dawah Organisation of Afghanistan movement. Following the end of communist rule in 1992, Ahmadzai became the deputy head of his group and later served as a minister in the Afghan government. He served as interior and construction minister and then became deputy prime minister. During 1995, he became an acting prime minister in which he served in until June 26, 1996, when more of the former militias which had been fighting for control of Kabul
made an agreement to form a national unity government to stop the advancing Taliban. He then served as education minister for the remaining three months of the government.
Ahmadzai fled Afghanistan in September 1996 just before the Taliban captured Kabul. He lived in Istanbul
, Turkey
, and London
, England
before he returned to Afghanistan in 2001 after the fall of Taliban.
Ahmadzai was an independent candidate in the 2004 Afghan presidential election supporting an Islamic system of government. He was confident about his chances of winning, but only received 0.8% of the total vote in the election.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He served as the prime minister of Afghanistan from 1995 to 1996. He is an ethnic 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...
from the Ahmadzai
Ahmadzai
Aḥmadzai is a Pashtun tribe. There are many separate and distinct clans, sub-clans, tribal fractions, large families etc. that trace their ancestry to different Aḥmads.-Afghanistan:...
sub-tribe.
Biography
Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai was born in Malang village of Khaki Jabbar districtKhaki Jabbar District
Khaki Jabbar District is a mountainous district situated in the southeastern part of Kabul Province, Afghanistan. The district headquarter is Khak-i Jabbar village, which is located in the central part of the district.-Demographics:...
, Kabul
Kabul Province
Kābul , situated in the east of the country, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. The capital of the province is Kabul City, which is also Afghanistan's capital. The population of Kabul province is 3.5 million people as of 2009, of which almost 80 percent live in the urban areas...
. He studied engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
at Kabul University
Kabul University
Kabul University is located in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. It was founded in 1931 but officially opened for classes in 1932. Kabul University is currently attended by approximately 7,000 students, of which 1,700 are women. As of 2008, Hamidullah Amin is the chancellor of the university...
and then worked in the agriculture ministry. In 1972 he received a scholarship to study in the United States, at Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
. He received a master's degree in 1975 and became a professor at King Faisal University
King Faisal University
King Faisal University is a public university with the main campuse in the city of Hofuf in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia founded in 1975. KFU was initially established with four colleges: two in Dammam and the other two in Al-Hasa.-History:...
in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
Soviet 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...
in 1979, Ahmadzai returned to his country to join the mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
s. He was a close associate of Burhanuddin Rabbani
Burhanuddin Rabbani
Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani was President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996. After the Taliban government was toppled during Operation Enduring Freedom, Rabbani returned to Kabul and served as a temporary President from November to December 20, 2001, when Hamid Karzai was...
but then left his group and joined Abdul Rasul Sayyaf
Abdul Rasul Sayyaf
Ustad Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf is an Afghan Islamist politician. He took part in the war against the PDPA government in the 1980s, leading the Mujahedin faction Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan....
's Islamic Dawah Organisation of Afghanistan movement. Following the end of communist rule in 1992, Ahmadzai became the deputy head of his group and later served as a minister in the Afghan government. He served as interior and construction minister and then became deputy prime minister. During 1995, he became an acting prime minister in which he served in until June 26, 1996, when more of the former militias which had been fighting for control 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...
made an agreement to form a national unity government to stop the advancing Taliban. He then served as education minister for the remaining three months of the government.
Ahmadzai fled Afghanistan in September 1996 just before the Taliban captured Kabul. He lived in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
before he returned to Afghanistan in 2001 after the fall of Taliban.
Ahmadzai was an independent candidate in the 2004 Afghan presidential election supporting an Islamic system of government. He was confident about his chances of winning, but only received 0.8% of the total vote in the election.