Afghan Biographies

Rasool, Zalmay Rasul Rassoul Dr.


Name Rasool, Zalmay Rasul Rassoul Dr.
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1944
Function/Grade Ex Ambassador to United Kingdom UK
History and Biodata

1. Former Ambassadors:
Ahmad Wali Masood, Massood Massoud (2001-2006)
Dr. Mohammad Rahim Sherzoy,
Homaioun Tandar ( 2007- 2010)
Dr. Hameed Haami (201103 - 20120804)
Dr. Mohammad Daud Yaar Mohammad Daud Yar (20120607, 201503)
Ahmad Zia Siamak (Charge d’Affair (201503- 201603)
Liaquet Ali Ameri (Charge d’Affair 201603- 201705)
Said Tayeb Jawad (201705-20200903)
Dr. Zalmay Rassool (2020903)
Embassy Staff as of 20180923:
MOHAMMAD YASER SADEQ
Counsellor (Political Affairs)


MOHAMMAD HANIF AHMADZAI

Political Counsellor (Political Affairs)
AHMAD NAVEED NOORMAL
First Secretary (Consular Affairs)
BABAKHAN ASLAMI
First Secretary (Cultural Affairs)


AQILA RAHMANI
Second Secretary(Political Affairs)


HOMAIRA SADAT DASHTI
Second Secretary (Admin/Finance Affairs)
MOHAMMAD ASIF NOORZAI
Third Secretary (Commercial/Economic Affairs)
COL. HAROON NADERI
(Defence Attaché)

Embassy Staff as of 20130624:
 

Ahmad Zia Siamak
Counsellor
Tel: 020 75898891


M. Hanif Ahmadzai
Counsellor
(Political Affairs)
Tel: 020 75898891
email: counselor(at)afghanistanembassy.org.uk


Najibullah Mohajer
First Secretary
(Cultural Affairs)
Tel: 020 75898891
email: mohajer(at)afghanistanembassy.org.uk


Mohammad Daud Weda
First Secretary
(Political Affairs)
Tel: 020 75898891


Nazifa Haqpal
Second Secretary
(Human Rights & Women Affairs)
Tel: 020 75898891
e-mail: nazifahaqpal(at)afghanistanembassy.org.uk


Freshta Omar
Second Secretary
Administration
Tel: 020 75898891
email: freshta(at)afghanistanembassy.org.uk


Ahmad Jamshid
Third Secretary
Consular Affairs
Tel: 020 7589 8891
email: consulate(at)afghanistanembassy.org.uk


Alim Faheem
Third Secretary
(Visa In Charge)
email: consulate(at)afghanistanembassy.org.uk


Hanif Aman
Third Secretary
(Political Affairs)
email: politicalsection2(at)afghanistanembassy.org.uk


Wahida Raoufi
Third Secretary
(Consular Affairs)
email: consulate(at)afghanistanembassy.org.uk


Major N. Marzee
Defense Attaché
(Acting DA)
Tel: 020 7225 4751
email: defenceattache(at)afghanistanembassy.org.uk


Ahmad Jawaid
Commercial Attaché
Phone: 020 7559 1440
email: commerce(at)]afghanistanembassy.org.uk
 

2. Previous Functions of Dr. Zalmai Rassool:
Dr. Rasool at the military hospital in Saudi Arabia,
Chief of Staff to Ex-King Zaher Shah in Rome (1998),
Minister of Transport and Civil Avatiaton (2002),
Chairman National Security Council (2002-2010),
Minister of Foreign Affairs (2010 - 20131000)
Presidential Candidate 2014 Elections
Presidential Candidate 2019 Elections
Ambassador to United Kingdom UK (20200903)

3. Biodata
Rassool_ZalmaiDr. Zalmay Rasool Rassool Rasoul son of Professor Dr. Abdul Qayoom Rasool and his wife Farukh Begum, daughter of Emir Habibullah Khan was born in 1944 in Kabul. Sources say he is a Pashtun others say he is Tajik. He completed his primary and secondary education in Estiqlal French High School. Dr. Rasool received 1973 his Doctorate from Paris Medical School, France. As a medical practitioner, Dr. Rasool has served at many prestigious institutions, which include the Research Institute of Cardiac Diseases Paris, the Military Hospital of Saudi Arabia. Dr. Rasool also served as the Chief of staff of H.M Father of the Nation Mohammad Zahir in Rome (1999) . He also worked for Haqiqat e Afghan Publication regarding Jihad in Afghanistan in Paris.

He returned to Afghanistan with the King in 2002 and served as a Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism during Afghanistan's Interim Government and as a National Security Advisor during the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan. He is Chairman of National Security Council since 2003. He is close with Karzai and a Royalist. He was confirmed by Wolesi Jirga as Minister of Foreign Affairs on 20100116 (132 for, 82 against, no blank, no invalid).

The foreign ministry's dysfunction is much spoken about in Afghanistan. Zalmai Rasul, an aging foreign minister, has been called a passive operator without much foreign policy experience. Ludin, his Deputy Minister and a former spokesman and chief of staff to Karzai, shoulders most of the responsibility in the foreign ministry, where many appointments are allegedly based on kinship.(20120322)

Mohammad Muhaqiq, said that the President Karzai has asked him to stand in the forthcoming presidential vote (2014) as the Second Vice of Zalmai Rassoul.(20130916)

The Young Activists for Reform and Change (YARC), an amalgam of 35 organizations and civil society groups, on 20140202 accused the Government of interfering in the election process. A YARC’s member, Ehsanullah Hekmat Ahmadzai, alleged at a news conference in Kabul that President Karzai had been partial, alleging that Government funds and machinery were being used to support Zalmai Rassoul, one of the 11 presidential runners. The activist claimed that some elders and parliamentarians had directly and indirectly suggested Karzai to back Rassoul.(20140202)
 

Abdul Qayoum Karzai and a number of Jirga members announced on 20140228 afternoon that Karzai will continue his presidential campaign. Supposedly, the decision was based on the propositions of 187 Jirga members. Two weeks ago, 187 Pashtun tribal elders from all over Afghanistan gathered in Kabul to work on forming an alliance in favor of Zalmay Rassoul and Qayum Karzai to give in of the other. "It would have been best if the candidates were united. Since we did not reach a decision, the Jirga ended," Jirga Deputy Muhammad Ameen Waqad said.(20140228)

It was formally announced that Qayoum Karzai drops out and endorses Zalmai Rassool. (20140306)

The Hezb-e-Islami Shura Alliance announced its support for Presidential Candidate Zalmay Rassoul on wednesday. Head of Hezb-e-Islami Shura Alliance emphasized on ending corruption and poverty and addressing the issue of terrorism. "From now on, we are with Zalmay Rassoul and will work for his success," a prominent member of Hezb-e_Islami Shura Alliance Waheedullah Sabawoon said. The Hezb-e-Islami Shura Alliance is mostly consisted of the members of Hezb-e-Islami who have separated from the leadership of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan.(20140305)

Dr. Zalmai Rassoul (Pashtun, Royalist) candidate in the Presidential Election 2014.
First vice president, Ahmad Zia Massoud (Tajik)
Second vice president, Habiba Surabi (Hazara)

According to Afghan officials, Hamid Karzai’s new home will be an old, European-style mansion that, once renovations are done, will be roughly 13,000 square feet. And the scale would befit the new role he is said to desire: guiding whoever fills his old job, as a presidential adviser for life. It is heavily rumored that Hamid Karzai wants to have Rasul as his successor because Hamid Karzai believes he could remote control him if Karzai is out of office. Therefore Karzai wants to take later residence on or very close to the ARG Palace compound. (20140224)

The team of Evolution and Continuity with Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai as the presidential runners on 20140324 accused Paktia governor Juma Khan Hamdard for launching campaign in Zalmai Rassoul’s favor—a move which is against the electoral law.
Sardar Mohammad Nadir Naeem is expected to withdraw from the upcoming elections in the favour of Dr. Zalmai Rasoul.(20140326)
On Sunday afternoon (20140511)  during a press conference, Zalmai Rassoul, the third leading candidate in the preliminary round, endorsed frontrunner Abdullah Abdullah. Rasul's first-vice-presidential running mate -- Ahmad Zia Masud, an ethnic Tajik and brother of Ahmad Shah Masud -- has reportedly given his backing to Ashraf Ghani.

Zalmay Rasool, along with Abdul Jabbar Taqwa and Ghulam Ali Vahdat, as his first and second vice presidents, went to the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and registered for the 2019 presidential election.(20190115)
 

He is not married.  Rasul's bachelor status has become a hot topic on the streets of Kabul, with some citizens concluding that the candidate is living in sin.
 

According to the people Rasul has not only broken tradition but also failed to fulfill an Islamic duty. People say in Islam, a man's faith is only complete when he gets married.


In a video conference with his GCC counterparts in New York on Wednesday, Dr. Zalmai Rassoul also spoke about his candidacy for the presidency for the UN General Assembly’s 76th session. (Candidate for the Presidency of the 76thSession of the United Nations General Assembly, 2021-2022) (20210429)

Dr. Zalmay Rasool is a multi-linguist who can speak Pashto, Dari, English, French, Italian and Arabic.  Although he is a Pashtun, Rasul's Pashto is rudimentary, and he is believed to be taking lessons in order to communicate more directly with what is expected to be his core voter base.

AfghanBios view:
Dr. Rasool was a taciturn figure during the years he served Ex King Zahir Shah as a Chief of Staff and Hamid Karzai as National Security adviser. The former doctor has yet to exhibit the kind of charisma that might help champion Afghanistan's case for continued support abroad. Some time ago Rasul said that until a few months ago he had expected to retire and play golf. Now Hamid Karzai made him his favorite candidate for the presidential election 05 apr 2014.

 

Last Modified 2022-02-08
Established 2009-10-09