Politburo of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan

The Politburo of the Central Committee of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan or Afghan Politburo was the policy-making organ and institution within Afghanistan's political structure when the PDPA Central Committee and the PDPA Congress were not in session. Only one politburos was formally elected; at the 1st Congress, despite this, the membership line-up was altered numerous times during the PDPA's existence.

Historical line-up

1st Politburo

Full members

• Nur Mohammed Taraki (General Secretary)
• Babrak Karmal (Deputy General Secretary)
• Sultan Ali Keshtmand
• Saleh Mohamed Zeary
• Gholam Destaguir Panjsheri
• Tahir Badakhshi
• Charoullah Chapour

Candidate members

• Nur Ahmed Nur
• Dr. Akbar Chah-Wali
• Abdoul Karil Missaq
• Suleiman Laeq
• Mohammad Hasan Bareq
• Hafizullah Amin
• Ismaïl Danesh
• Abdul Hakim Charayi Jowzjani
• Abdul Majid
• Zaher Ofoq Qandahari
• Dr. Zaher

Poltiburo members (1984)

By 1984, eight of the thirteen members and alternate members of the Politburo were Parchamis:

Members of the Parcham faction

• Babrak Karmal
• Sultan Ali Keshtmand
• Mohammad Najibullah
• Nur Ahmed Nur
• Mohammad Rafie
• Anahita Ratebzad

Members of the Khalq faction

• Abdul Qadir
• Mahmud Baryalai
• Mohammad Aslam Watanjar
• Salih Muhammad Zeary
• Muhammad Ismail Danesh

Unclear

• Ghulam Dastagir Panjsheri (believed to be in Kar)
• Abdul Zahoor Razmjo