Afghan Biographies

Atta, Shahla Mrs.


Name Atta, Shahla Mrs.
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1967
Function/Grade Presidential Election Candidate 2009
History and Biodata

2. Previous Functions:
Wolesi Jirga Member 2005 Kabul
Pesidential Election 2009 Candidate

 

3. Biodata:
shahla_attaMrs. Shahla Atta daughter of Gholam Sediq is resident of Kandahar and belongs to the Muhammadzai tribe. She was born in 1967 (other source says 1965) in Kabul. She completed her school education from Rabia Balkhi higher secondary school in Kabul in 1985 and migrated to Pakistan in 1986. She is related to a former President of Afghanistan, Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan. Shahla Atta is a war widow. Atta is the founder of the Atta Foundation. The Atta Foundation offers humanitarian aid to women whose husbands are physically disabled or dead.

She received her higher education in psychology from a private university in Pakistan. After completing her education, Shahla Ata worked at the Afghan-German, Arab and Aabdara Road hospitals for Afghans. She was assistant at the hospitals. Shahla is a registered nurse and a trained psychologist. She is a war widow. Her husband had been killed in factional fighting. Other sources say that her husband died in the United States in 2002.

She went to the United States in 1990. During her stay in the United States, Shahla Ata says she shared the problems of Afghans living in Peshawar with those living in the United States. She returned to Pakistan in 1994 to help the Afghan refugees. She reconstructed a building for a school in Kacha Garhi camp in Peshawar, constructed two more schools in Nasir Bagh camp and established a school and a health clinic in Jalozai camp for refugees. She remained to work providing blankets, sleeping mats and medicines to Afghan refugees in Pakistan till 2001.

Shahla Ata said she completed the works with the help of her own family and Afghan refugees in the United States and her personal funds. She returned to Afghanistan in 2001 and supported the displaced people of Helmand province with food and other items. 2005 she was an elected member of the Wolesi Jirga from Kabul with 2.040 or 0.5% of votes. . She worked as deputy of the monitoring commission of the Wolesi Jirga to ensure implementation of the law. She also served as member of the commission for counter-narcotics and was a Presidential Candidate in 2009. Her running mate as First Deputy was Abdul Habib Siar and Second Deputy Gul Mohammad Urozgani. She bagged 10.687 or 0.23% of votes. Running on Socialist platform, she compares her policies to those of the late PM, Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan. In 2010 Wolesi Jirga she could not bag a seat.

 

Shahla Atta is a U.S. citizen who did not renounce her citizenship at the US Embassy in Kabul.

She is a mother of five daughters, two of the five daughters are medical doctors  one was serving in the US military.  The kids are living in the USA.

Shahla Ata was found dead at her residence in the 10th police district of Kabul city. (20150312)

Shahla Ata can speak Pashto, Dari and English.

Last Modified 2015-03-17
Established 2009-10-12