Afghan Biographies

Kochai, Abdul Qayoum Dr.


Name Kochai, Abdul Qayoum Dr.
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1941
Function/Grade Uncle of President Ashraf Ghani Ahma
History and Biodata

2. Previous Functions:
young political officer during the late 1960’s and in 70’s at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA)
Afghan Embassy in Moscow (during 70's)
Counselor and Ambassador to Russia Charge d’ Affaire the Embassy of Afghanistan in Bulgaria (1980, 1981)
Ambassador to Russia (20160701-20180821 sacked 20180908)
3. Biodata:
Dr. Abdul Qayoum Kochai (AKQ) Dr. Qayyum Kochai Koochi Abdul Qayum Kuchi was born 1941 in Surkhab, Logar Province. He is a former Afghan diplomat in his mid-seventies who fled Afghanistan with his family nearly two decades ago during the Soviet invasion. AQK graduated in 1955 from the Habibiya High School in Kabul. From fourth grade on American English was taught in this High School.  Kochai holds a Ph.D in Political Science from the Russian Academy of Science in Moscow. In a resume AQK claims an “A. A. degree” in “Supervision and Business Management” from Ohlone College, Fremont, CA. AQK probably took “evening classes” at Ohlone College. He also claims experience as an interpreter for Farsi, Pashtu and Russian and service as an instructor at the United States Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA.

Sources learned that Abdul Qayum Kochai (badar [from the Farsi  bahadur [valiant, warlike, hero] as his household laqab [honorific title]) was proudly claiming the title “doctor” based on his experience as a clerk in the embassy of Afghanistan in Moscow, USSR during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In those days, names of recipients of degrees from the USSR and the titles of their theses were regularly published in various newsletters about Afghanistan and other publications such as Schulman’s “Doctoral Dissertations on Asia”. In these publications sources could not find information about a thesis authored by Abdul Qayum Kochai; nor could they find information about a doctorate degree conferred on Abdul Qayum Kochai by the USSR Academy of Sciences. 

A contempt that had him jailed for two years by the Communist government in Pul-e-Charkhi prison and was released without consequence in 1980 and left Afghanistan that same year for Europe where he stayed until 1982 in hopes that peace and stability would return to his homeland. Kochai eventually migrated to San Francisco with his family, and found it difficult to look back.

So, for the last 18 years, Kochai has worked for a non-profit organization in San Francisco as a counselor, helping mend families and advising them through their difficult times – a way to give back to the community that he and his family now consider home. But recently Kochai returned to Afghanistan during the 2014 Afghan Presidential Elections.

President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai has appointed his uncle Abdul Qayoum Kochai as Afghanistan's ambassador to Russia. He will succeed Azizullah Karzai, the uncle of former president Hamid Karzai.(20160703)

He is known for his undiplomatic talk and his signature aviator glasses. He has insulted a close ally of his host country. His second passport is an American one.

He is married to his wife Malal and they have two daughters .

Kochai is fluent in several languages including English, Pashto, Dari and Russian.

Last Modified 2019-12-22
Established 2016-07-03