| Hashmat Ghani Ahmadzai | |
|---|---|
| Grand Council Chieftain of the Kuchis | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 27, 1960 Logar Province, Afghanistan |
| Religion | Islam |
As Grand Council Chieftain of the Kuchis,[1] Hashmat Ghani Ahmadzai is an Afghan politician at the intersection of tribal and national politics in Afghanistan and hails from a long line of ancestors who have done the same[2] He is married, with children. Mr. Ahmadzai’s grandfather brought King Zahir Shah’s father, King Mohammed Nadir Shah, into power in the early 20th century. His father served King Zahir Shah in many ministerial roles, last holding the title of Minister of Transport from the late 1950s until the King was deposed in 1973. Following the overthrow of the King's government, Mr. Ahmadzai and his family joined the former King and royalists in exile as part of what came to be known as the Rome Group, which flourished as a political organization though it was not a formal political party. In this capacity, he oversees the Ahmadzai, one of the largest Pashtun tribes, a significant portion of which resides on the southeastern side of the Durand Line in Waziristan, which is semi-controlled by Pakistan. Ahmadzai has been a prominent leader assisting and securing the future of the Kuchi people in Afghanistan.[3]
He became the Grand Council Chieftain of the Kuchis in 2002. Hashmat Ghani Ahmadzai, chief of the Grand Council of Kuchis, is among the wealthiest and most influential Kuchis, thanks to a large family inheritance based on land ownership as well as a successful transport company. He is also a vice president of an American security and reconstruction company. As chief of the Kuchi council, which represents the interests of largely settled Kuchi tribes, Ahmadzai deals with important Afghan politicians, including President Hamid Karzai. But he says ideas he has put forward to improve life for the poorest nomads, such as providing community centers and integrating them into settled societies.[4]Ahmadzai advocated the establishment of an office for nomadic affairs within Karzai's administration. The office, according to Ahmadzai's vision, would help mediate land disputes and work to build trust among Kuchis and northern ethnic groups.[5]
Having studied in Afghanistan, Pakistan, France, New York, and Washington, DC. He earned his MBA in International Trade and Marketing and remains an active businessman in Afghanistan.[6]
Brother of Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, Chairman of the Institute for State Effectiveness and former Finance Minister of Afghanistan.
He owns land in the United States, Dubai, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.[7]