Afghan Biographies

Raketi, Haji Mullah Abdul Salam Rakiti Rocketi


Name Raketi, Haji Mullah Abdul Salam Rakiti Rocketi
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1958
Function/Grade Ex MP MNA
History and Biodata

2.Previous Functions:
Commander 27th Brigade after 1992
Governor of the central Maidan Wardak province (1995),
Wolesi Jirga Member 2005 MP MNA Zabul Zabol

3. Biodata:
raketi_abdul_salamHaji Mullah Abdul Salam Raketi is the son of late Haji Manzar. He was born in 1958 in Naubahar district of the southern Zabul province. He continued his religious education until 1978 and then migrated to Pakistan. Rakity launched jihad against the regime in southeastern Paktika province in 1979. He continued fighting in Kandahar and Zabul till the fall of the government of Dr. Najeeb in Kabul. He was commander of the 27th brigade in the mujahideen after 1992. Rakity says he handed over all his weapons to Taliban in 1994 and joined the Taliban movement on the request of the Taliban leadership in 1995. He was appointed governor of the central Maidan Wardak province the same year.

He was commander of the first military brigade in Nangarhar from 1997 until the transitional government of President Hamid Karzai. Mulla Abdul Salam Rakity remained imprisoned with the Americans for eight months in 2002. He was elected member of the Wolesi Jirga from southern Zabul province in 2005. Mullah Abdul Salam earned the moniker ‘rocketi’ after proving his skill with the RPG-7 anti-tank weapon system against Soviet armored vehicles during the 1980’s.  He served under the late Mullah Mohammad Rabbani and defected from the Taliban in late 2001. He was arrested by the US Coalition and later released under an amnesty program supported by local Kandahari power-brokers. He served on the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House) where he represents Zabul Province.

On July 22nd, 2009 Salam survived a Taliban ambush as he and his party attended a campaign rally in Baghlan Province. One person was killed and another wounded in the attack.

Last Modified 2011-05-03
Established 2009-10-12