| Biography of Karim Khalili |
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 Mohammad Karim Khalili was born into a religious and well respected family in the Behsud district of Maidan Wardak in 1950.After graduating from high school at his birth place, he moved to Kabul to continue his religious studies. In 1979, Mr. Khalili joined the Sazman-i Nasr party and took active part in the Mujahiddin resistance against the Soviet occupation of this homeland. Shortly after, in 1981, Mr. Khalili became the Director of the Central Office of Nasr in Tehran, where he was responsible for coordinating international support towards the cause of the Mujahiddin. During this time, Mr. Khalili participate in a large number of international conferences and seminars on Afghanistan to gather support for struggle of the Afghan people. In 1987, Mr. Khalili became a member of the Islamic Coalition Council of Afghanistan and, subsequently, its Speaker. After the formation of the Mujahideen Transitional Government, Mr. Khalili served as Finance Minister. He also joined the National Unity Party (Hez-e-Wahdat) and served as a member of its Central Council and, following, the parties Resident Representative and Spokesperson in Pakistan. With the assassination of the late Abdul Ali Mazari in 1994, Mr. Khalili was selected Chief of the Hezb-e-Wahdat party and started his resistance against the Taliban and its supporters from his stronghold in Bamiyan and the sourounding provinces. During his leadership, Mr. Khalili has reconstructed and expanded the Bamyan airport, established Bamyan Universited, build schools, clinics and hospitals, and created local markets. With the Bonn Conference in 2001 and the beginning of the Interim Administration, Mr. Khalili halted the activities of the National Unity Party and dissolved its military branch in the interests of national unity and peace. He served as Vice-President of the country under the Transitional Government. Karim Khalili was sworn in as Second Vice-President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on December 7, 2004. Mr. Khalili is married and has five daughters and two sons. He enjoys studying literature and riding horses. |
