The Ministry of Defense is the cabinet ministry of Afghanistan responsible for overseeing the Afghan Armed Forces (currently referred to as the Islamic Emirate Armed Forces). The ministry is located in Kabul.
The Democratic Republic period
thumb|200px|The Ministry of Defense emblem from 1987 to 1992
From the 30th of April until 9 August 1978, Abdul Qadir succeeded the slain Ghulam Haidar Rasuli as Defense Minister of the DRA, responsible for the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, until being succeeded by General Aslam Watanjar. In 1990 forces loyal to Minister of Defense Shahnawaz Tanai and Hezbi Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar attempted a fail coup against then President Najibullah. His forces were thwarted by General Aslam Watanjar who was rewarded the post of Minister of Defence. Watanjar would be the last Minister of Defense of the DRA/ROA. The government collapsed in 1992.
Additionally, the Ministry of Defense also had their own annual publication titled “The Military Magazine” (, ) which began in 1967, under the Kingdom of Afghanistan. This was continued under the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
The Islamic Republic period
thumb|Former logo from 2018.
During the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021), the defense minister was nominated by the President of Afghanistan and the National Assembly made the final approval.
One of the functions of the Defense Ministry during that period was the continuance of disarming insurgent groups, through programmes such as the Afghan New Beginnings Programme (which included the rehabilitation and reintegration of child soldiers). These militant groups coalesced from warlords and former army personnel after the collapse of the Najibullah government in 1992.
List of ministers
Prior to 1929, Afghanistan had no ministers of defense but rather ministers of war.
|-
| –
|
| Amanul Mulk<br />
|
|
| years
! style="background:" |
| Unknown
|
|-
| 4
| 80px
| Mohammad Daoud Khan<br />
| 1947
| 1948
| years
! style="background:" |
| Independent
|
|-
| 12
| 80px
| Mohammad Aslam Watanjar<br />
| 1 April 1979
| 28 July 1979
|
! style="background:" |
| PDPA–Khalq
|
|-
| 13
| 80px
| Hafizullah Amin<br />
| 28 July 1979
| 27 December 1979
|
! style="background:" |
| PDPA
|
|-
| 14
| 80px
| Mohammed Rafie<br />
| 28 December 1979
| 1982
| years
! style="background:" |
| PDPA
|-
| (10)
|
| Abdul Qadir<br />
| 1982
| September 1984
| years
! style="background:" |
| PDPA–Parcham
|
|-
| 15
|
| Nazar Mohammad<br />
| 4 December 1984
| 4 December 1986
| years
! style="background:" |
| PDPA–Khalq
|
|-
| (14)
| 80px
| Mohammed Rafie<br />
| December 1986
| May 1988
|
! style="background:" |
| PDPA
|
|-
| 16
| 80px
| Shahnawaz Tanai<br />
| May 1988
| March 1990
|
! style="background:" |
| PDPA–Khalq
|
|-
| (12)
| 80px
| Mohammad Aslam Watanjar<br />
| March 1990
| April 1992
|
! style="background:" |
| PDPA–Khalq
|
|-
| style="background:#e6e6aa;"| –
| rowspan=2| 80px
| rowspan=2| Ahmad Shah Massoud<br />
| style="background:#e6e6aa;"| 28 April 1992
| style="background:#e6e6aa;"| 28 June 1992
| style="background:#e6e6aa;"|
! rowspan=2 style="background:" |
| rowspan=2| Jamiat-e Islami
| rowspan=2|
|-
| 17
| 28 June 1992
| 9 September 2001
|
|-
| 18
|
| Obaidullah Akhund<br />
| April 1997
| 9 September 2001
|
! style="background:" |
| Taliban
|
|-
| 19
| 80px
| Mohammed Fahim<br />
| 9 September 2001
| 23 December 2004
|
! style="background:" |
| Jamiat-e Islami
|
|-
| 20
| 80px
| Abdul Rahim Wardak<br />
| 23 December 2004
| 7 August 2012
|
! style="background:" |
| Mahaz-e-Milli-ye Islami
|
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| –
| 80px
| Enayatullah Nazari<br />
| 8 August 2012
| 15 September 2012
|
! style="background:" |
| Jamiat-e Islami
|
|-
| 21
| 80px
| Bismillah Khan Mohammadi<br />
| 15 September 2012
| 24 May 2015
|
! style="background:" |
| Jamiat-e Islami
|
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| –
| 80px
| Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai<br />
| 24 May 2015
| 20 June 2016
|
! style="background:" |
| Independent<br/>'
|
|-
| 22
| 80px
| Abdullah Habibi<br />
| 20 June 2016
| 24 April 2017
|
! style="background:" |
| Independent<br/>'
|
|-
| 23
| 80px
| Tariq Shah Bahramee<br />
| 24 April 2017
| 23 December 2018
|
! style="background:" |
| Independent<br/>'
|
|-
| style="background:#e6e6aa;"| –
| rowspan=2| 80px
| rowspan=2| Asadullah Khalid<br />
| style="background:#e6e6aa;"| 23 December 2018
| style="background:#e6e6aa;"| 21 November 2020
| style="background:#e6e6aa;"|
! rowspan=2 style="background:" |
| rowspan=2| Ittehad-e Islami
| rowspan=2|
|-
| 24
| 21 November 2020
| 19 March 2021
|
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| –
| 80px
| Yasin Zia<br />
| 19 March 2021
| 19 June 2021
|
! style="background:" |
| Independent<br/>'
|
|-
| (21)
| 80px
| Bismillah Khan Mohammadi<br />
| 19 June 2021
| 15 August 2021
|
! style="background:" |
| Jamiat-e Islami
|
|-style="background:#e6e6aa;"
| –
|
| Abdul Qayyum Zakir<br />
| 24 August 2021
| 7 September 2021
|
! style="background:" |
| Taliban
|
|-
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" | –
| rowspan=2| 80px
| rowspan=2| Mullah Yaqoob<br />
| style="background:#e6e6aa;"| 7 September 2021
| style="background:#e6e6aa;"| 15 August 2025
| rowspan=2|
! rowspan=2 style="background:" |
| rowspan=2| Taliban
| rowspan=2|
|-
| 25
| 15 August 2025
| Incumbent
|}
Notes
References
External links
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