Afghan Biographies

Hamdard, Juma Khan


Name Hamdard, Juma Khan
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1954
Function/Grade Security Adviser President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai
History and Biodata

2.Previous Functions of Juma Khan Hamdard:
Commander 8th Afghan Corps Balkh Province
Governor Balkh, Governor Baghlan (2004),
Governor Jowzjan (2007),
Governor Paktia (20071231-20150402),
Security Adviser President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (20150611)

3. Biodata:
hamdard_juma_khanJuma Khan Hamdard was born in 1954 in Balkh Province of Afghanistan. He is an ethnic Pashtun of the Wardak tribe from Mazar-i-Sharif. The Americans had given the contract for buidling the road between Gardez and Ghazni to Juma Khan Hamdard’s son, Gul Rahman.

Hamdard was a member of Hezbi Islami (HiG) and fought against the Soviets under the leadership of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. In 1994, he allied with Abdul Rashid Dostum against the Talibans. In 1997, he defected to the Taliban's side and helped them defeat Dostum's forces in 1997.

 A Pashtun from Balkh province, Hamdard was a top Hezb-i Islami Gulbuddin (HiG) commander in the north who acted as the intermediary between Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Uzbek commander Abdul Rashid Dostum when the two were allied against the Soviets and later against the Taliban. Dostum appointed Hamdard commander of the 8th Corps upon Hamdard's return to Balkh after the fall of the Taliban.Following the US-led coalition's invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, Hamdard resumed a weak alliance with Dostum's forces and was the commander of Military Corps No 8.

Juma Khan Hamdard is an important personality of northern Afghanistan. He has played a pivotal role in safeguarding the interests of the Pashtuns. He enjoys a mass based of support among the Pashtun settlers in the Northern Afghanistan. He was a military commander and politician. Since the fall of the communist regime in 1992, he has trod a very cautious approach in protecting the interests of Pashtuns in Northern Afghanistan in the wake of rising anti-Pashtun sentiments.

Early in September 2009, Mohammad Atta Noor (Governor of Balkh Province) delivered a blistering speech in which he accused central government of sponsoring widespread electoral fraud in favour of Karzai. He also claimed that the interior ministry, through Hamdard, was distributing weapons to Balkh’s Pashtun districts, with a view to undermining Atta’s own authority.

Juma Khan Hamdard failed as a governor in several Provinces because of his inefficiency, narrow-minded nationalism and ethnic prejudice. He had escaped an assassination attempt in May 2007 in Jowzjan Province in which his driver and bodyguard were killed. He survived another assassination attempt in the provincial capital, Gardez, on his way back from a poetry session (20100514). However, there have been accusations, including that the governor has packed the administration in Paktia with Hezb-e Islami supporters, of arbitrary arrests, huge bribe-taking – and, for some unfathomable reason, of American support for all this.

Juma Khan Hamdard governor of Paktia survived a attempt life (20110426). He also escaped unhurt from an attack at the hands of three suicide bombers. in Gardez. (20111016). It was the second attempt to his life in 2011.

His candidacy for his third governorship was reportedly supported by other former HiG members in the Karzai administration, notably Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Senior Advisor Farook Wardak. He had less support from other presidential advisors, one of whom asserted the appointment to Paktya was a step to Hamdard's marginalization. In addition to his governorship, Hamdard is still  one of President Karzai's advisors on tribal issues, a role he shares with Helmand governor Wafa. Hamdard will continue to enjoy a position close to the Palace.

Anti governor protests was staged 20130827 in the southern province of Paktia, where tens of tribal elders asked for Juma Khan Hamdard removal, a change they believe would help holding a transparent election in 2014. Deputy Paktia Governor, Abdul Wali Sahi confirmed the demonstrators’ demand and said corruption was witnessed in some provincial offices, but not as much as could undermine the owing developments’ project works.(20130828)
 

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.

Former governor and member of the Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) leadership council, Juma Khan Hamdard, says he would launch his political activities soon in northern Balkh province.(20180405)

The Islamic party’s officials confirmed that important members like Farooq Wardak, Jomaa Khan Hamdard, Amin Waqad, Wahidullah Sabawoon, and many more are no more a part of the party.(20191212)



Background:
In Kabul, police and NDS, then controlled by Shura-ye Nizar arrested scores of members of their old rivals Hezb-e Islami. Wahidullah Sabawun (now one of the president’s advisors on tribal affairs and leader of the legal, registered party) was detained, as were Juma Khan Hamdard and Delbar Jan Arman (now governors of Paktia and Kunar, respectively) and the late Bashir Baghlani (who went on to become governor of Farah). A defence ministry official accused the four men of having been sent by Hekmatyar to sabotage the new government, but it was clear this was just a blatant attempt to settle old scores. The Hezb-e Islami cadres got out fairly swiftly after media reporting and the party slowly managed to rehabilitate itself and gradually found its place in the new administration, eventually also making its way into parliament.

Last Modified 2019-12-12
Established 2009-08-04