1-Noorul Haq Ulumi, Minister of Interior

 

Noorul Haq Ulumi is the son of Abdul Azim Ulumi and was born on August 15, 1941 in Kabul. He went to Habibia High School before joining the Military Academy. He has two sons and a daughter, who currently live in Holland. Ulumi completed an officer’s training course in 1972 and later on went to the US for higher studies. Apart from serving in various positions in the army, he also taught for 11 years on officers’ training programmes. In 1980 he was held as a political prisoner in Pul-i-Charkhi prison. In 1982 Ulumi was designated as commander of 1st central corpse and then became commander of 2nd corps in Kandahar. In 1982 he travelled to the former Soviet Union for higher educations. He is leader of Mutahid-i-Milli party and executive head of national coalition. He has also served as head of the defence committee of Wolesi Jirga.

 

 

2- Salahuddin Rabbani, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Salahuddin Rabbani was born in Kabul on May 10, 1971. He earned his BSc in Management and Marketing from Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in 1995. Mr. Rabbani received his MA in Business and Management from Kingston University in the United Kingdom in 2000. He subsequently joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, serving as Political Counselor at the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the United Nation in New York. During his tenure, he represented Afghanistan in the First Committee of the United Nations’ General Assembly on Disarmament and International Security, and also covered a wide-range of issues at the UN Security Council related to international peace and security.  

 In 2006, he left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pursue his second post-graduate degree at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and completed his MA in International Affairs in 2008.  Soon after, he returned to Afghanistan and served as a Political Advisor to his late father, Former President Prof. Burhanuddin Rabbani, who continued to play a constructive role in the country as head of the Jamiat-e-Islami political party and first Chairman of the High Peace Council. In 2010, Mr. Rabbani was appointed Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the Republic of Turkey.  Following the assassination of his father in September 2011, he was selected head of Jamiat-e-Islami. In March 2012, then Afghan President Hamid Karzai appointed Mr. Rabbani as the new Chairman of the Afghan High Peace Council. Following the formation of the Government of National Unity, Mr. Rabbani was nominated by H.E. President Ashraf Ghani to serve as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in January 12, 2015.  His nomination received vote of confidence by the Afghan Wolesi Jirga (Parliament) in January 28, 2015, and just days later, on the February 1, 2015, he was sworn into office. Mr. Rabbani is married and has four children.

3- Mohammad Masoom Stanikzai, Defence Minister-designate

Mohammad Masoom Stanikzai, the defence minister-designate, is the son of Mahmood Khan Stanikzai and was born in Moghulkhel village of Mohammad Agha district in central Logar province. Stanikzai completed his primary education at his hometown and was later enrolled in communications institute in Kabul where he completed 14th class majoring in Microwave. He also studied communications in military university and completed high-level in military field. He obtained his first masters degree in management from Princeton University and went on to study Engineering in sustainable development in UK’s prestigious Cambridge University for his second masters. He worked as senior researcher at United States Institute for Peace (USIP) for six months, where he did extensive research on peace and security and published several papers. During his refugee days in Iran and Pakistan, he has worked with many humanitarian organizations delivering services for Afghan refugees. After formation of interim government in Afghanistan, Stanikzai worked as a commissioner for human rights and later became minister for Information Technology and Communications. He has also worked as advisor to former president Hamid Karzai on security-related issues and in the last five years, he has been working as a member of High Peace Council (HPC) and the council’s secretary. He has had membership of many commissions also, including membership of the National Security Council (NSC). In the past couple of years, Stanikzai has survived three attempts on his life.

 

4- Daud S. Saba, Minister of Mines and Petroleum

Dr. Daud Shah Saba son of Abdul Samad, was born on May 10, 1964 in Gozara District of Herat Province. After primary studies in Herat, he continued his secondary studies at Ghazi and Nadirya high schools. He obtained a master degree in economical geology from Kabul Polytechnic University in 1986.  In 2002, he completed his doctorate studies on geological block of Kabul, in Mumbai University. Dr. Saba has worked in different governmental organizations, NGOs and private sectors during the last 24 years. He served as a lecturer in Geology and Petrology at Kabul Polytechnic University between years 1976 – 1994; he also worked as a researcher and associated professor for the St. Xavier's College of Mumbai University during 1990 – 1995. From 1996 – 2002, Dr. Saba worked as editor for Mardomnama-e-Bakhter research Journal, and as the head of Barg-e- Sabez Publications. He also served as research advisor for the International Center of New York University, and there he conducted a research on geothermal resources of Afghanistan during 2003 – 2005. In 2004, he cooperated with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and co-authored two fact-based policy reports on Human Development in Afghanistan. In 2005, worked as advisor and member of researching team for Chris Michel’s Institute of Norway, and cooperated in evaluation of aids from European countries to Afghanistan. In 2005, Dr. Saba started work as natural resources development advisor at IRD for USAID, and then assumed the role of deputy country director of the IRD in Kabul. Dr. Saba also served as senior advisor to National Environmental Protection Agency of Afghanistan for one year and contributed to the formation of this institution as well as to the Environmental law of Afghanistan. Between years 2005-2006, Dr. Saba served as writer, researcher and advisor to ANDS, and Advisor to the President Karzai in human development. In 2010, Dr. Daud Saba was appointed as the governor of Herat Province. He was introduced as minister of mines by the unity government and won vote of confidence on January 28.

5- Salamat Azimi, Minster of Counter Narcotics

Salamat Azimi is a daughter of Mohammad Azim born in Ankhoi district of Faryab province in 1965. After graduating from Abu-Muslim Khurasani High School in 1982, she subsequently started her higher education in Kabul University and earned her BA degree from law and political science faculty. She received her Master Degree from Payam-e-Noor International University in 2014. Her experiences in various governmental and non-governmental organizations are as follow: Professional member of legislation department and interstate right, institute of legislative and scientific research Affairs in Ministry of Justice, law and political science instructor of Balkh University, member of scientific council of Balkh University, member of scientific board, deputy of law and political science faculty of Balkh University, member of scientific council, law and political science faculty quality assurance member of Balkh University, head of the department of private and penal law department in Balkh University, representative of Balkh University in emergency Loya Jerga held in 2003, member of national peace consultative Jerga of Balkh held in 2011, member of traditional Loya Jerga from Balkh province held in 2012, member of consultative Jerga (Bilateral Security Agreement BSA) held in 2014, human rights commissioner in northern Afghanistan in support of children rights, member of lawyers association of Balkh province, director of Aryana lawyers association, head of the association for women lawyers and specialists in Balkh province. She is married and has two sons and three daughters, her native language is Uzbiki, and she is fluent in national languages (Dari and Pashto). Based on the decree No. 5 dated 21 April 2015, Salamat Azimi was appointed as Minister of Counter Narcotics by president of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

6- Dr. Mohammad Humayon Qayoumi is President Emeritus of San Jose State University and Chief Adviser for   President Ghani in the areas of infrastructure, human capital, and technology.

  Prior to this he served as 28th president and a professor of electrical engineering at San José State University in   the heart of Silicon Valley, in California. Before that he was the President of California State University East Bay.

 He holds a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the American University of Beirut and four graduate degrees from the University of Cincinnati: a master’s in nuclear engineering, a master’s in electrical and computer engineering, an MBA in Finance, and a doctorate in electrical engineering. He has also published eight books and more than 100 articles, as well as several chapters in various books. He is a licensed professional engineer and a certified management accountant.

Dr. Qayoumi has over 40 years of engineering and administrative experience in several universities. He served as an engineer on a variety of projects in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia including two years as the project electrical engineer in building the Umm Al Nar Power Plant in 1970’s. He has made presentations at numerous conferences across the United States and in 12 other countries.

A senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), Dr. Qayoumi served as a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award examiner and senior examiner from 2000 to 2003. He also was senior examiner for the Missouri Quality Program from 1997 to 2000. Dr. Qayoumi is an APPA Fellow and the recipient of two APPA Meritorious Awards, APPA President Award in addition to NACUBO’s Distinguished Business Officer Award. He served in several board of directors including KQED, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, The Bay Area Council, The Bay Area Council Economic Institute, and Joint Venture Silicon Valley. In addition, he serves chair of cybersecurity for the U.S Department of Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council. A senior fellow with California Council on Science and Technology (CCST), he was inducted to Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame in 2015.

7- Eng. Nasir Ahmad Durrani, Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development

Eng. Nasir Ahmad Durrani, son of Shaheed Haji Shah Mohammad, was born in Pul-e-Kandahari village, Mohammad Agha district of Logar province in 1952. He completed his primary and secondary education in 1967 in his hometown and then proceeded to Kabul Technical Institute where he completed his 12th class in 1970. He obtained Bachelors in Engineering from Kabul University in 1975. In 1988, he went to the United States of America (USA) where he completed a year of post-graduate studies in engineering at the Nebraska University. In 1976, he started his career in the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, as General Manager of Investment. In 1985, he worked as Technical Advisor with VITA in Peshawar for eight years and in 1993 he returned to Afghanistan and became the Head of Administration Department in the Ministry of Public Works. In 1995, Nasir Ahmad Durrani worked as the manager of the Steel Mills Company in Peshawar for eight years. In 2003, Durrani returned to Afghanistan and worked as Project Manager for Afghanistan’s Energy Sector Evaluation Project, which was supported by British and French energy companies. In 2010, he was appointed as Deputy Minister of Solid Mines in the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum. In addition, Durrani reactivated the Mazar Power Plant, which successfully cleared all of its debts. Following the formation of the Government of National Unity, Mr. Durrani was nominated to serve as the Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. He received vote of confidence by the Afghan Wolesi Jirga (Parliament) on January 28 and on 1 February 2015, he was sworn into office. Minister Nasir Ahmad Durrani is married and has six children.

8- Dr. Firozuddin Feroz, Public Health Minister

Dr. Firozuddin Feroz was born in Panjshir Province in 1968. In 1980, he graduated from high school and was admitted to the Medical Faculty of Kabul University. Following successful completion of his medical studies, Dr. Feroz started serving people, first, as a medical doctor at  the Nahrin District Health Center, Baghlan province in 1985, and then as the Public Health Director of Kapisa province  in 1997. In 2002, Dr. Feroz joined the Afghan Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) as the Deputy Minister of Policy and Planning and was one of the founders of Afghanistan’s current health system. From 2005 to 2014, Dr. Feroz was a consultant with the World Bank and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), addressing health system reform in low and middle income countries, such as Afghanistan, India (Rajasthan State), and South Sudan. In addition to his specialty degree in general surgery, Dr. Feroz obtained Diploma in Health Management from London University and has earned two Master’s degrees in health management; one from the University of LSHTM (UL) England, and the other one from the University of IIHMR-Jaipur, India.  In 2012, Dr. Feroz commenced his doctoral studies (PhD) at the Walden University of America. Dr.  Feroz has published extensively about public health management and policy, including six books and many peer-reviewed articles, which are published in well-known international journals. In early February 2015, Dr. Feroz was nominated as the Minister of Public Health to the National Assembly of Afghanistan by the leadership of the National Unity Government, and subsequently appointed to this position after receiving the highest votes of confidence from the Afghan Parliament.  

9- Abdul Bari Jahani, Minister of Information and Culture

Abdul Bari Jahani, information and culture minister, is a son of Haji Abdul Ahmad Khan, Jahani. He was born in 1948 in Kandahar City. He completed early education in Kandahar in history and geography. In 1981, Jahani went to Pakistan and two years later to the United States where he worked for the Voice of America (VOA). He has authored more than 10 books in Pashto language and many of them have been translated to Dari and English. Jahani was member of the constitution Loya Jirga. He has the honour of authoring Afghanistan’s current national anthem.