Asadullah Khalid

Asadullah Khalid
Asadullah Khalid in front of Rahman Baba High School in Kabul in 2011
Governor of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan
In office 2005–2008
Preceded by	Gul Agha Sherzai
Succeeded by	Rahmatullah Raufi
Personal details
Religion	Muslim

Asadullah Khalid is the Minister of Tribal and Border Affairs. He was former Governor of Kandahar Province in Afghanistan. He previously served as Governor of Ghazni Province, from 2001 to 2005. He was replaced by Rahmatullah Raufi as the Governor of Kandahar Province in August 2008.

Biography

Asadullah Khalid is a former Kabul University student, he left his political science course and joined the Northern Alliance to fight the Taliban.

He became the governor of Ghazni province after the removal of the Taliban government and until 2005. After a re-shuffle in 2005, by President Hamid Karzai, Khalid was shifted from Ghazni province to become the new governor of Kandahar province. He is an ethnic Pashtun.

On October 19, 2006 Assadullah Khalid told that it appeared to him no Taliban insurgents were in the village at the time of a NATO airstrike, which left giant pieces of mud packed with straw scattered along the narrow lane of the Ashogho village.^{[clarification needed]} Khalid, who traveled to Ashogho, about 15 miles west of Kandahar City, said nine people were killed, including women and children, and 11 wounded.^{[clarification needed]} Residents said 13 were killed, including four women, and 15 wounded. The governor stuck with his figures when contacted later in the day. He said Hamid Karzai expressed his sympathy after he called the president on his cell phone from the village. Asadullah Khalid was saddened by the deaths of innocent civilians. It seemed clear from the villagers that no Taliban fighters were in their village when the bombing occurred he told. "It is hard to know when the Taliban are moving around from one place to another, but it seems they weren't here," he said. He has promised to rebuild the homes. As he walked away from the angry villagers and climbed into his car, Khalid whispered to himself:

"And how are we supposed to bring security to the country with this kind of thing happening? He always believes in coordination of international and national efforts in bringing stability into the country." ^[1]

In early 2007, Asadullah Khalid escaped an assassination attempt. He was targeted by a suicide bomber in which his motorcade was destroyed but he survived with only minor injuries.^[2]

Torture Allegations

On April 12, 2010, CBC News revealed the existence of top-level government documents confirming the involvement of Khalid in serious human rights abuses, with his own private dungeon. Multiple sources report that the private detention centre is located under the governor's guest house. Documents also revel that Christopher Alexander (diplomat), a top Canadian official working with the United Nations, alleged that Asadullah Khalid had ordered the killing of five UN workers by bombing, presumably to protect his narcotics interests.^[3]

See also

• Politics of Afghanistan

References

1. ^ "Civilians reported killed by airstrikes as NATO hunts Taliban" October 19, 2006 accessed 19 October 2006.
2. ^ CBSNEWS,Suicide car bomber rams Kandahar governor's SUV
3. ^ CBC NEWS,Afghan governor's rights abuses known in '07 - Monday, April 12, 2010

External links

• Defend America - Conference Focuses on Future of Region

Preceded by None

Governor of Ghazni Province, Afghanistan 2001–2005

Succeeded by Sher Alam Ibrahimi

Preceded by Yousef Pashtun

Governor of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan 2005–2008

Succeeded by Rahmatullah Raufi

Persondata
Name	Khalid, Asadullah
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