Karim Khalili, Vice President of Afghanistan

Karim Khalili was born in Wardak Province, and completed his secondary studies at a religious school. After the Communist Coup in 1978, Mr. Khalili decided his place was with those who were resisting the changes the Communists were trying to impose on Afghanistan?s culture, religion and people. He left Kabul, and became active with a resistance group called Nasr, which aimed to free people from Communist, and later Soviet, rule. In 1981, Mr. Khalili became the Director of the Central Office of Nasr in Tehran, and was responsible for coordinating relations with a number of countries who were supporting Afghanistan?s struggles. Six years later, he became a member of the Islamic Coalition Council of Afghanistan, and later its Speaker. He worked hard to foster unity among the various Mujahideen groups, and traveled extensively within the region and elsewhere to advocate on behalf of the resistance movement.

In 1989, when the National Unity Party (Hezb-e-Wahdat) was established, Mr. Khalili served as a member of the Central Council, and for a time, as the Resident Representative and Spokesperson of the Party in Pakistan. He also served as Minister of Finance during the Mujahideen Government. In 1994, after the death of Abdul Ali Mazari, Mr. Khalili was elected leader of the National Unity Party, and led his people in the struggle against the Taliban. From that time until 2001, Mr. Khalili continued to rally his people against the Taliban, and when the opportunity for peace arose with the Bonn Conference, he embraced the process enthusiastically. With the beginning of the Interim Administration, Mr. Khalili halted the activities of the National Unity Party and dissolved its military branch in the interests of national unity and peace. He served as Vice-President of the country under the Transitional Government. Karim Khalili was sworn in as Second Vice-President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on December 7, 2004