Bismillah Khan Mohammadi

Bismillah Khan Mohammadi was born in 1961 in the Panjshir Province of Afghanistan. An ethnic Tajik, he is the son of Ghausuddin of the Panjshir Valley. After graduating from 14th grade in Abu Hanifa Seminary he enrolled at Kabul Military University. Mohammadi was a former PDPA Parcham member, but after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan he aligned himself with mujahideen resistance commander Ahmad Shah Massoud.

When the Taliban gained control over large parts of Afghanistan in 1996 establishing their Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Bismillah Khan served as Deputy Minister of Defense of the anti-Taliban and still recognized Islamic State of Afghanistan. He was a senior commander in the anti-Taliban resistance, the United Front (Northern Alliance), led by Ahmad Shah Massoud. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent fall of the Taliban regime through United Front ground troops and the U.S. Air Force, Bismillah Khan was appointed commander of Kabul's police force and became a member of the Kabul Security Commission. During that period the security situation in Kabul was better than in other parts of Afghanistan.Moyar, Mark. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110427090344/http://orbisops.com/images/Orbis%20Publication_7_16_10.pdf] Orbis Operations – Research Report: Afghanistan’s New Minister of Interior: A Potential Game Changer. 16 July 2010.

In 2002, Bismillah Khan became Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army, a post he held until 2010.Davis, Anthony. [http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jdw/jdw080118_2_n.shtml Interview: General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, Chief of General Staff, Afghan National Army.] Jane's Defence News. 18 January 2008.

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In June 2010, Bismillah Khan was transferred from his position as Army Chief of Staff to the post of Interior Minister by President Hamid Karzai.{{cite news |first=Yaroslav |last=Trofimov |title=Karzai Nominates New Ministers |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703485304575331053832139346 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=2010-06-26 |accessdate=2010-06-26}} As Interior Minister, Mohammadi loudly deplored ethnic fractiousness within the Afghan security forces, stressing national unity and Islamic ethics in the Afghan National Police.

Despite the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021, Mohammadi continued to claim the title of Minister of Defense.

Bismillah Khan Mohammadi received the Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani, Ghazi Amanullah Khan and Ahmad Shah Baba awards for his efforts in bolstering the Afghan National Army.{{Cite web|title=Who is who in Afghanistan?|url=http://www.afghan-bios.info/index.php?option=com_afghanbios&id=1068&task=view&total=3&start=1&Itemid=2|access-date=2021-08-20|website=www.afghan-bios.info}}

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{{Commons category|Bismillah Khan Mohammadi}}

• [http://www.janes.com/news/security/capabilities/jdw/jdw080118_2_n.shtml Interview: General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, Chief of General Staff, Afghan National Army]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110427090344/http://orbisops.com/images/Orbis%20Publication_7_16_10.pdf Afghanistan's New Minister of Interior: A Potential Game Changer]

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{{succession box |before=Mohammad Hanif Atmar |title=Interior Minister of Afghanistan |years=2010–2012 |after= Mujtaba Patang}}

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{{s-ttl|title=Defense Minister of Afghanistan|years=2021}}

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Category:Afghan military officers

Category:Living people

Category:Interior ministers of Afghanistan

Category:Defence ministers of Afghanistan

Category:Afghan Tajik people

Category:Jamiat-e Islami politicians

Category:1961 births

Category:People from Panjshir Province

Category:Politicians of Panjshir Province