Afghan Biographies

Alikhel, Najibullah


Name Alikhel, Najibullah
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1962
Function/Grade Ex Ambassador to Pakistan Islamabad
History and Biodata

1. Former Afghan Ambassador to Islamabad:
Anwar Anwarzai (2080904)
Abdul Khaleq Farahi , Afghanistan's Ambassador-Designate to Pakistan was kidnapped on 20080921 by unidentified gunmen, who ambushed his car and shot dead his driver, in the north-western city of Peshawar, the police said.
Majnoon Gulab Zazai, Minister Counsellor and Charged Affairs, Deputy Head of Mission, acting Ambassador
(20091021, 2010, 2011)
Mohammad Omar Umar Daudzai (20110418-20130901)
Janan Mosazai (20131116-20151125)
Dr. Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal (20151126, 20160212-20180800 stepped down
Atif Mashal (20181001) resigned (20200112)
Najibullah Alikhel (20200903)

Hafiz Mohibullah, First Secretary, (202010928)

2. Previous Function:
Ambassador to Hungary (20130520)
Ambassador to Turkmenistan (20191010-20200902)
Ambassador to Pakistan Islamabad (20200903)

3. Biodata:
Najibullah Alikhel Najibullah Alikhil was was born in 1962. He has an MA in International Relations, Moscow State Institute for International Relations (MGIMO).The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul  has named a career diplomat as ambassador to Pakistan after a long time as most of Afghan ambassadors, who served in Pakistan were political appointees.(20200903)

 

Alikhil, who is presently serving as Afghan ambassador to Turkmenistan, replaced Atif Mashal, who had resigned over several reasons, including to “pursue higher education.”
 

Afghanistan has appointed non-career diplomats as ambassadors on political basis to Pakistan over the past 10 years.

Known personalities who have served as Afghan envoys Umar Daudzai, Janan Mosazai, Dr Omar Zakhilwal and Atif Mashal.

Kabul had also appointed several career diplomats after Pakistan withdrew recognition to the Taliban government in 2001 and handed over the Taliban ambassador Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef to the US authorities. Zaeef wrote in his books that he was handed over to the US military at Peshawar airport and was later shifted to Guantanamo.
 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan states said that on July 16, 2021, the 26 year old daughter of the Afghan ambassador to Islamabad Silsila Alikhil, was abducted for several hours. Silsila Alikhil went to Blue Area to purchase a gift for her younger brother.

She went to Khadda Market, Rawalpindi and Daman-i-Koh with three different Taxis. The footage of her movement from Rawalpindi to Daman-i-Koh was missing and the matter is under investigation. When she took a cab for going back home, another man entered into the taxi after few minutes. Reports said that when she protested with the driver over his act, the unknown man started beating her and issued threats to her. A hospital medical report, seen by The Associated Press, said she suffered blows to her head, had rope marks on her wrists and legs and was badly beaten. There was a suspicion that she had several broken bones and X-rays were ordered, the report said. Alikhil has been released from the captivity and put under medical supervision.(20210719)
 

On Monday July 21, 2021 Pakistan foreign minister Mahmoud Qureshi, National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf, and Inspector General of Police of Islamabad briefed media and apparently denied the Afghan envoy daughter’s allegation of being abducted.

IGP Qazi Jameelur Rehman regarding his investigation conducted said, Selsela Alikhel had changed four taxis to different locations in Islamabad and was alone during her commute. He furthered, Selsela was using the internet during her time in taxis and was ultimately dropped F-9 where the Afghan embassy is located.(20210721)

 

Najibullah Alikhail is fluent in Dari, Pashto, English and Russian.


More Background:
Those who had served as ambassador, charge d afafirs and minster counselor after the Taliban include Mosa Ghazi, Dr Nangyai Tarzi, Majnoon Gulab and Muhammad Anwar Anwarzai. Abdul Khaliq Farahi, who was named as Afghan ambassador to Pakistan, was kidnapped in Pakistan in 2008 and never assumed office after he was freed two years later.

 

Since March 2016, he has been Director General of Security Cooperation and Border Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He served as the Afghan Ambassador to Hungary and non-resident Ambassador to Croatia, Romania and Bosnia-Herzegovina from 2012 to 2015.

From 2010 to 2012 he was Director General of the Second Political Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Middle East and Africa, Iran and Turkey.

Within 2004-2008, he served as the First Secretary for Political Affairs of the Embassy and Permanent mission of Afghanistan in Vienna, Deputy Head of Mission to OSCE, delegate to UNODC, IAEA, and CTBTO.

Ambassador Alikhil served as Director General of Economic Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Before that, he was Director General of the First Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for South, East and South-East Asia from 1994 to 1996.

 

 

Last Modified 2021-09-28
Established 2019-10-06