| Abdul Qadir Dagarwal | |
|---|---|
| Defence Minister of Afghanistan | |
| In office 1982 – December 1986 |
|
| Premier | Sultan Ali Keshtmand |
| Preceded by | Mohammed Rafie |
| Succeeded by | Mohammed Rafie |
| In office May 1978 – August 1978 |
|
| Premier | Sultan Ali Keshtmand |
| Preceded by | Ghulam Haidar Rasuli |
| Succeeded by | Mohammad Aslam Watanjar |
| Chairman of the Revolutionary Council of the Armed Forces of Afghanistan | |
| In office 27 April 1978 – April 30 1978 |
|
| Preceded by | Mohammed Daoud Khan |
| Succeeded by | Nur Muhammad Taraki |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1944 (age 67–68) Herat, Afghanistan |
| Political party | People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan |
| Religion | Islam |
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Abdul Qadir Dagarwal (born in 1944), a colonel, was the leader of the Afghan Air Force squadrons that attacked the Radio-TV Station during the 1978 Coup that started the Saur Revolution.
Ironically, he also participated in the 1973 Coup that created the Daoud Republic of Afghanistan under the Presidency of Mohammad Daoud Khan. He served as the leader of the country for 3 days, when the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan took power and declared the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. He was born in 1944 in Herat and trained as a pilot in the USSR.
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Former Prime Minister Mohammad Daoud Khan led the coup with General Abdul Karim Mustaghni, who had been Chief of Staff of the armed forces.
Daoud promised radical land reform, the legalisation of political parties and other reforms. The Parcham was offered four minister posts in Daoud's government. As a Parcham member, Qadir was nominated vice-commander of the Afghan air force, while another Parcham supporter, Major Zia Mohammadzi Zia, was appointed head of the Afghan army. However, by 1974 Daoud removed and downgraded many of the Parcham ministers in the government. Qadir was thus downgraded to head of Kabul's Military abattoir. Many Parcham supporters, including Major Qadir, shifted allegiance to Khalq.
Suddenly in April 1978, Daoud and his hardline interior minister, General Abdul Qadir Khan Nuristani, launched a sharp government crackdown on the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). It proved to be a miscalculation. Major Qadir and Colonel Mohammad Aslam Watanjar, another leading PDPA member in the military, narrowly escaped arrest and early on April 27 Hafizullah Amin was able to smuggle out the order to restart the coup.
He also ordered the attack against the Arg, and against the Royal Palace of President Mohammad Daoud Khan. The tank commander on the ground was Colonel Aslam Watanjar, of the first battalion of the 4th tank brigade. Together, the troops under their command took Kabul. The government fell, and Daoud was killed.[1]
At 7:00 P.M. on April 27, Qadir made an announcement over Radio Afghanistan, in the Dari language, that a Revolutionary Council of the Armed Forces had been established, with himself at its head. The council's initial statement of principles, issued late in the evening of April 27, was a noncommittal affirmation of Islamic, democratic, and nonaligned ideals:
| “ | "For the first time in the history of Afghanistan, the radio declared, the last remnants of monarchy, tyranny, despotism ... has ended, and all powers of the state are in the hands of the people of Afghanistan." | ” |
The Revolutionary Council was formed by himself, Hafizullah Amin, and Major Mohammad Aslam Watanjar, it assumed the control of the country until a civilian government was formed.
On April 30 the newly created PDPA's Revolutionary Council (with Nur Mohammad Taraki and Babrak Karmal in its leadership) issued the first of a series of fateful decrees. The decree formally abolished the military’s revolutionary council. A second decree, issued on May 1, named the members of the first cabinet that included Qadir as Minister of Defense.
He became minister of defense, for three months starting in May, 1978. On May 6, Qadir asked the Soviet commanders for advice on how to deal with all the people under arrest. On August 17, Qadir, still defense minister, was arrested for his part in a conspiracy that allegedly had been organized by the Parchams exiled abroad. Since Qadir remained popular in the military, President Taraki didn't dare to kill him. Instead he was sentenced to fifteen years in jail.[1]
The policy of Taraki and Hafizullah Amin to get rid of people they considered unsuitable in order to concentrate all power in their own hands became very apparent. Prime Minister Amin later reported:[2]
| “ | "The party was unable to make Qadir a true Marxist-Leninist, prepared to withstand any negative influence. That was our mistake." | ” |
After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 which assassinated Hafizullah Amin, Qadir was released from jail under the new regime of Babrak Karmal, the political posts he held in the PDPA before being sent to jail were restored. He served once again as Minister of Defense (1982- 1985) during the Babrak Administration.[1]
After the Soviet Invasion, Kabul was put in a state of siege. The bridges were blocked, barriers and hidden ambushes were set up on all the roads leading into the city. Qadir was made commander of the city. As part of the changes in the leadership of the country, he resigned from the Politburo in November, 1985, a year later was appointed Ambassador to Warsaw, Poland by President Mohammad Najibullah. He was recalled to Afghanistan in 1988, were he got elected to Parliament. After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989 it was believed he fled to Bulgaria and sought political asylum.[1]
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mohammad Daoud Khan |
Head of the Revolutionary Council of the Armed Forces April 27 – 30, 1978 |
Succeeded by Nur Muhammad Taraki |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Ghulam Haidar Rasuli |
Minister of Defense May 1978 – August 1978 |
Succeeded by Mohammad Aslam Watanjar |
| Preceded by Mohammed Rafie |
Minister of Defense 1982 – December 1986 |
Succeeded by Mohammed Rafie |