Chief of General Staff (Afghanistan)

Head of Afghanistan's armed forces

Chief of Staff of the Islamic Emirate Armed Forces

د افغانستان د ملي اردو لوی درستیز

Incumbent
Qari Fasihuddin

since 7 September 2021

Ministry of Defense
Reports to| Minister of Defense
Seat| Kabul
Appointer| Supreme Leader

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces[1] (Pashto: د افغانستان د ملي اردو لوی درستیز) is the highest-ranking military officer in the military of Afghanistan (currently the Islamic Emirate Armed Forces), who is responsible for maintaining the operational command of the military.

## List of chiefs

[edit]

Abdul Karim Mustaghni was army chief of staff until the 1973 overthrow of the monarchy.[2] Under the rule of Hafizullah Amin, his brother in law Mohammed Yaqub served as Chief of the General Staff until being executed by Soviet-Parcham forces in December of 1979. In the late 1980s, during the communist regime, Nazar Mohammad served as army chief of staff, followed by Shahnawaz Tanai, Both from the Khalq faction of the PDPA[3] (December 1984 – March 1990), who was succeeded by Mohammed Asif Delawar following the 1990 coup attempt, which was led by Tanai.

### Kingdom of Afghanistan (1926–1973)

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Name
(Birth–Death) | Term of office  | Defence branch  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
|  | Major general
Abdul Karim Mustaghni
(1911–2004) | ?  | 1973  | ?  | Army  |

### Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978)

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Name
(Birth–Death) | Term of office  | Defence branch  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
|  | Major general
Ghulam Haidar Rasuli
(1919–1978) | 1975  | April 1978  | ?  | Army  |

### Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978–1992)

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Name
(Birth–Death) | Term of office  | Defence branch  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
|  | Colonel general
Mohammad Aslam Watanjar
(1946–2000) | 1978  | 1 April 1979  | ?  | Army  |
|  | Lieutenant general
Mohammed Yakub
(?–1979) | 1 April 1979  | 27 December 1979  | ?  | Army  |
|  | Major General
Gul Aqa | ?  | ?  | ?  | Army  |
|  | Lieutenant general
Baba Jan Zahid | ?  | January 1984  | ?  | Army  |
|  | Colonel general
Nazar Mohammad
(1935–1998) | January 1984  | December 4 1984  | ?  | Air Force  |
|  | Lieutenant general
Shahnawaz Tanai
(1950–2022) | December 1984  | March 1990  | ?  | Army  | [4]
|  | General
Mohammed Asif Delawar | March 1990  | 1992  | ?  | Army  |

### Afghan Armed Forces (Islamic Republic era)

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Chief of General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| Mohammadi, BismullahLieutenant general
Bismillah Khan Mohammadi
(born 1961)| 8 March 2002| 30 June 2010| 8 years, 114 days|  Afghan National Army| [5][6]

| Karimi, SherGeneral
Sher Mohammad Karimi
(born 1945)| 30 June 2010| 22 May 2015| 4 years, 326 days|  Afghan National Army| [5][7]

| Shahim, QadamGeneral
Qadam Shah Shahim
(born 1962)| 22 May 2015| 24 April 2017| 1 year, 337 days|  Afghan National Army| [5][8]

| Yaftali, MohammadLieutenant general
Mohammad Sharif Yaftali| 26 April 2017| 13 March 2019| 1 year, 323 days|  Afghan National Army| [5][9]

| Waziri, BismillahLieutenant general
Bismillah Waziri| 13 March 2019| 7 July 2020| 1 year, 116 days|  Afghan National Army| [5]

| Zia, YasinLieutenant general
Yasin Zia| 7 July 2020| 19 June 2021| 347 days|  Afghan National Army| [10]

| Ahmadzai, Wali MohammadLieutenant general
Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai| 19 June 2021| 11 August 2021| 53 days|  Afghan National Army| [11]

| Alizai, HebatullahLieutenant general
Hebatullah Alizai| 11 August 2021| 15 August 2021| 4 days|  Afghan National Army| [12][13]

### Islamic Emirate Armed Forces

[edit]

No. | Portrait  | Chief of General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| Fasihuddin, QariGeneral
Qari Fasihuddin| 7 September 2021| Incumbent| 3 years, 182 days*|  Islamic National Army| [14][15]

* Incumbent's time in office last updated: 8 March 2025.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "فارياب او جوزجان ولايتونو ته د ملي دفاع وزارت سرپرست وزير او د وسلوال پوځ لوى درستيز سفر | د ملی دفاع وزارت". mod.gov.af (in Pashto). Retrieved 20 February 2022.
2. ^ Nyrop & Seekins 1986, p. 294.
3. ^ Barnett R. Rubin, Afghanistan: "Back to Feudalism", Current History, Vol. 88, No. 542, South Asia (DECEMBER, 1989), p. 444
4. ^ Nyrop & Seekins 1986, p. 324.
5. ^ a b c d e "Yaftali, Mohammad Sharif LtGen". Who is who in Afghanistan?. 12 August 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
6. ^ Davis, Anthony. Interview: General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, Chief of General Staff, Afghan National Army. Jane's Defence News. 18 January 2008.
7. ^ "Karimi, General Shir Mohammad Sher Sheer". 18 November 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
8. ^ Kakar, Javed Hamim (19 May 2015). "Defence minister-designate, new army chief named". Pajhwok Afghan News. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
9. ^ "GENERAL MOHAMMAD SHARIF "YAFTALI"". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 25 June 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
10. ^ "Governors' Appointments Ongoing, Cabinet Member Choices Stalled". TOLOnews. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
11. ^ "Afghan president replaces two top ministers, army chief as violence grows". Reuters. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
12. ^ Syed, Azaz (11 August 2021). "Afghan Chief of Army replaced amid escalating violence". Ariana News. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
13. ^ "Afghanistan army chief removed from post: sources". www.geo.tv. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
14. ^ "The Chief Of Staff Of The Armed Forces Visits The Border Districts Of Badakhshan Province". mod.gov.af. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
15. ^ "Taliban announce new government for Afghanistan". BBC News. 7 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Nyrop, Richard F.; Donald M. Seekins (January 1986). Area Handbook Series: Afghanistan: A Country Study. Fort Belvoir, VA: Defense Technical Information Center.

* v
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Afghan Armed Forces

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