Presidents And Heads Of State Of Afghanistan

Ashraf Ghani, incumbent President of Afghanistan. Editorial credit: 360b / Shutterstock.com.
Ashraf Ghani, incumbent President of Afghanistan. Editorial credit: 360b / Shutterstock.com.

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a country located in South and Central Asia. It is the 42nd most populous county with a population of 32 million. It covers an area of 252,000 square miles and it is ranked the 41st largest country. The Republic consists of three branches: the judicial, executive, and the legislature. The nation is led by a president and has two vice presidents and a bicameral with two chambers. The first president of Afghanistan was Mohamed Daoud Khan. The current president of Afghanistan is Ashraf Ghani. 

Sardar Mohammed Daoud Khan

Sardar Mohammed Daoud Khan, better known as Daoud Khan, was a Prime Minister of Afghanistan who became its first President after he overthrew King Zanir Shah in a bloodless coup in 1973. At an early age, Khan lost his father, who was an Afghan ambassador, in an assassination in Germany. He was educated in France where he was an apt student of political science. He served as the governor of Eastern Province in Afghanistan from 1935-1935 and served the second term from 1938-1939. 

Hamid Karzai

Hamid Karzai served as the president of Afghanistan from December 7, 2004, until September 26, 2014. He rose from a politically active family. A majority of his family members served in political positions in the Afghan national and regional government. He was an active member of the Mujahideen from 1979 until 1989. After the withdrawal of the Soviets, the Mujahideen established the Islamic State of Afghanistan. His father was assassinated, and he rose to a political position in 1999. He played a major political role when the US invaded Afghanistan and overthrew the Taliban regime. A grand assembly was held is Kabul where he was chosen as an interim president for two terms. 

Presidents And Heads Of State Of Afghanistan

Heads of State of Modern AfghanistanTerm(s) in Office
Mohammed Daoud Khan
1973-1978
Abdul Qadir
1978
Nur Muhammad Taraki
1978-1979
Hafizullah Amin
1979
Babrak Karmal
1979-1986
Haji Mohammad Chamkani
1986-1987
Mohammad Najibullah
1987-1992
Abdul Rahim Hatif
1992
Sibghatullah Mojaddedi
1992
Burhanuddin Rabbani
1992-2001
Mohammed Omar (Proclaimed by Taliban as Emir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan; Not internationally recognized)
1996-2001
Hamid Karzai
2001-2014
Ashraf Ghani
2014-Present
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