Afghan Biographies

Azimi, Salamat Mrs.


Name Azimi, Salamat Mrs.
Ethnic backgr. Uzbek
Date of birth 1965
Function/Grade Ex Minister of Counter Narcotics MoCN Dissolved
History and Biodata

In January 2019, President Ashraf Ghani closed the Ministry of Counter Narcotics and moved responsibility for the opium survey to the National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA).


1. Former Ministers of Counternarcotis / Narcotic Affairs/ Minister of Counter Narcotics MCN MoCN:

Eng. Habibullah Qaderi (Zabul) (2005),
General Khodaidad (20080302), (Khodaidad had been serving as acting minister before),
Zarar Ahmad Moqbel Muqbel Muqbil Osmani (was named acting Minister of Foreign Affairs) (2010 -20131028) )
Din Mohammad Mubarez Din Mohammad Mobariz Rashidi (20131225-20140930)
Din Mohammad Mobariz Rashidi Acting Minister of Counter Narcotics (20141001)
acting Minister of Counter Narcotics Harun Alrashid Shirzad Haroon Rashid Sherzad (20141209)
Mrs. Salamat Azimi (20150418)
Ministry dissolved 20190128

Deputy Ministers Counter Narcotics:
Dr. Mohammad Zafar (20091116),
Gen Baaz Mohammad Ahmadi (20110411)
Mohammad Ibrahim Azhar (20111027)
Haroon Rashid Sherzad for Policy and Coordination (20131213, 20140209)
 

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Counter Narcotics:
Abdul Qayum Samer Abdul Qayyum Samir (20110918)


2. Previous Functions:
Head of the commission’s section for children’s rights in northern Afghanistan, Children Department of Afghanistan Independence Human Rights Commission in Mazar-e-Sharif (20111015)
Women's rights advocate and director of Ariana Legal Foundation in Mazar-e-Sharif (20140105)
Minister of Counter Narcotics (20150418)
3. Biodata:
Prof Phanwal Salamat Azimi Salamat Azemi daughter of  Mohammad Azim born 1965 in Ankhoi district of Faryab province in an intellectual family. After graduating  from Abu-Muslim Khurasani High School in1982, 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, Iran,  in 2014.

She was a representative of Balkh University in emergency Loya Jirga held in 2003, member of national peace consultative Jerga of Balkh held in 2011, member of traditional Loya Jirga 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.

Mrs. Ustad Salamat Azimi has been picked as Counter-narcotics Minister.(20150321) She formerly served as a university professor and the Deputy Director of Balkh University. She was confirmed by Wolesi Jirga. (20150418) Azemi, who comes from a university background and had never held a ministerial position before, was a weak candidate, for what some refer to as “the toughest job in world.” Azemi only travelled to Bamiyan (in early 2016), a province that had not seen any poppy cultivation since 2005, to open a new wing of the city’s university. President Ghani, who is known for his tendency to micro-manage, also did not make eradication a priority. The change of administration in the US in 2016/17 also contributed to a lack of a clear policy and, in general, pushed counter-narcotic objectives to being secondary.

The now-dissolved Ministry of Counter Narcotics has had a bleak record. However, it was never given a direct role in reducing supply. When the ministry was established in 2005 (following the adoption of the new counter-narcotics law), with the help of the UK government, it was tasked only with monitoring, policy making and coordinating. The president has now given these jobs to the Ministry of Interior. The integration of the Ministry of Counter Narcotics into the Ministry of the Interior in organisational and budgetary terms in coordination with the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission and the Ministry of Finance should be done in within three months. MCN employees have been receiving salaries without having any work to do. According to the same report the ministry is currently funded for 549 staff until September of 2019. (20190128)

She is married and has two sons and three daughters

Her native language is Uzbeki, she is fluent in Dari and Pashto and she is acquainted with English language.

Last Modified 2020-06-26
Established 2015-03-22