| Agency Name: | Ministry of Defense |
| Type: | Department |
| Nativename: | وزارت دفاع ملی Pushto; Pashto: د ملي دفاع وزارت |
| Picture Width: | 200px |
| Picture Caption: | Flag of the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan |
| Jurisdiction: | Government of Afghanistan |
| Headquarters: | Kabul |
| Coordinates: | 34.5239°N 69.1864°W |
| Minister1 Name: | Mullah Yaqoob (Acting) |
| Deputyminister1 Name: | Abdul Qayyum Zakir (Acting) |
| Chief1 Name: | Muhammad Ali Akhund |
| Chief1 Position: | Director of Intelligence[1] |
| Chief2 Name: | Qari Lutfullah "Habibi" |
| Chief2 Position: | Spokesperson[2] |
| Child1 Agency: | General Directorate of Intelligence |
The Ministry of Defense (وزارت دفاع ملی,, Pushto; Pashto: د ملي دفاع وزارت,) is the cabinet ministry of Afghanistan responsible for overseeing the military of Afghanistan (currently the Islamic Emirate Armed Forces). The ministry is located in Kabul.[3]
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.[4] [5] [6] The government collapsed in 1992.
Additionally, the Ministry of Defense also had their own annual publication titled “The Military Magazine” (Pashto: د اردو مجله, Dari: مجله ارتش) which began in 1967, under the Kingdom of Afghanistan. This was continued under the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.[7]
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.[8]
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Political affiliation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sayyid Husayn | January 1929 | March 1929 | Saqqawist | ||||
| Purdil Khan | March 1929 | October 1929 | Saqqawist | ||||
| Shah Mahmud Ghazi[9] | 1929 | 1947 | Unknown | ||||
| Gen. Mohammad Daoud Khan | 1947 | 1948 | Unknown | ||||
| Gen. Muhammad Umar | 1948 | 1952 | Unknown | ||||
| Gen. Muhammad Aref | 1952 | 1958 | Unknown | ||||
| Gen. Mohammad Daoud Khan | 1958 | 1963 | Unknown | ||||
| Gen. Khan Muhammad | 1963 | 1973 | Unknown | ||||
| Pres. Mohammad Daoud Khan | 1973 | 1973 | Unknown | ||||
| Abdul Karim Mustaghni | 1973 | 1977 | Republican | ||||
| Ghulam Haidar Rasuli | 1977 | April 1978 | Republican | ||||
| Abdul Qadir | 27 April 1978 | 17 August 1978 | PDPA-Parcham | ||||
| Nur Muhammad Taraki | 17 August 1978[10] | 1 April 1979 | PDPA-Khalq | ||||
| Mohammad Aslam Watanjar | 1 April 1979 | 28 July 1979 | PDPA-Khalq | ||||
| Hafizullah Amin | July 1979 | 27 December 1979 | PDPA | ||||
| Mohammed Rafie | 28 December 1979 | 1982 | PDPA | ||||
| Abdul Qadir | 1982 | September 1984 | PDPA-Parcham | ||||
| Nazar Mohammad | September 1984 | 1986 | PDPA-Khalq | ||||
| Mohammed Rafie | December 1986 | May 1988 | PDPA | ||||
| Shahnawaz Tanai | May 1988 | March 1990 | PDPA-Khalq | ||||
| Mohammad Aslam Watanjar | March 1990 | April 1992 | PDPA-Khalq | ||||
| Ahmad Shah Massoud | 28 April 1992 | 9 September 1993 | Jamiat-e Islami | ||||
| Waheedullah Sabawoon | 10 September 1992 | 15 February 1995 | Hizb-e-Islami | ||||
| Obaidullah Akhund | April 1997 | 9 September 2001 | Taliban | ||||
| 9 September 2001 | 23 December 2004 | Jamiat-e Islami | |||||
| 23 December 2004 | 7 August 2012 | Mahaz-e-Milli-ye Islami | |||||
| Enayatullah Nazari | 8 August 2012 | 15 September 2012 | Jamiat-e Islami | ||||
| 15 September 2012 | 24 May 2015 | Jamiat-e Islami | |||||
| Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai | 24 May 2015 | 20 June 2016 | Independent | ||||
| Abdullah Habibi | 20 June 2016 | 24 April 2017 | Independent | ||||
| 24 April 2017 | 23 December 2018 | Independent | |||||
| Asadullah Khalid | 23 December 2018 | 25 July 2020 | Ittehad-e Islami | ||||
| Shahmahmood Miakhel | 25 July 2020 | 19 March 2021 | Independent | ||||
| Yasin Zia | 19 March 2021 | 19 June 2021 | Independent | ||||
| Bismillah Khan Mohammadi | 19 June 2021[11] | 15 August 2021 | Jamiat-e Islami | ||||
| Abdul Qayyum Zakir | 24 August 2021 | 7 September 2021 | |||||
| Mullah Yaqoob | 7 September 2021[12] | Incumbent | Taliban | ||||