Dad Mohammad Khan, was locally known as Amir Dado,[1] was a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly of Afghanistan representing the Helmand province. He was the former chief of intelligence for the Helmand province, and ran unsuccessfully as second vice-presidential running mate to Sayyed Abdul Hadi Dabir in the 2004 Afghan presidential election.[2]

Dad Mohammad Khan
داد محمد خان
Afghanistan Parliament
Personal details
BornAfghanistan
DiedMarch 19, 2009
Helmand province, Afghanistan
OccupationPolitician

Biography

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Originally a wealthy fruit vendor from the Sangin, he became a Mujahideen commander during the Soviet–Afghan War. After the collapse of the pro-Soviet government in 1992, he became one of the most powerful warlords in Helmand province. He was alleged to have committed serious war crimes against Afghan civilians and to have run a repressive local regime, including bans on women leaving their homes and arbitrary death sentences handed out by his religious court, during the following civil war. He was eventually overthrown by the Taliban and fled to Pakistan.[3]

After the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Dado returned to Afghanistan and was named chief of intelligence for the Helmand province under the new Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Members of his immediate family also returned to positions of power within the province, including one of his brothers as governor of the Sangin district and another as Sangin chief of police. Further allegations of war crimes followed, including violent extortion of money from civilians and summary executions of suspected Taliban sympathisers.[4] Despite civilian and United Nations efforts to have Dado removed from power, the United States military argued that his methods were "the time-tested solution for controlling rebellious Pashtuns."[3]

In 2004, he ran unsuccessfully as second vice-presidential running mate to Sayyed Abdul Hadi Dabir in the 2004 Afghan presidential election.

Dad Mohammad was the target of several Taliban attacks[5] as were members of his family.

Dad Mohammad Khan was killed in road bomb blast in the southern province of Helmand of Afghanistan on March 19, 2009.[6]

References

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  1. ^ In the land of the Taliban - The New York Times 26 October 2006 Archived 15 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Presidential Candidates Sayyed Abdul Hadi DABIR Archived 2007-02-08 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b "The Other Afghan Women". 3 September 2021.
  4. ^ Rubin, Elizabeth (22 October 2006). "In the Land of the Taliban". The New York Times.
  5. ^ 400 held after Afghan official shot at Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Afghan Member of Parliament Killed in Road Bomb Blast[permanent dead link]