POLITICS — March 13, 2026
Former Afghan Prime Minister Sultan Ali Keshtmand dies
Sultan Ali Keshtmand, former Afghan prime minister under the communist governments of Babrak Karmal and Najibullah and a leader of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, has died, as confirmed by his brother on Facebook.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Afghanistan International — 2 min read
Sultan Ali Keshtmand, former prime minister of Afghanistan and a leader of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, has died. His brother, Asadullah Keshtmand, confirmed the death in a Facebook post.
Keshtmand was the first Hazara to serve as prime minister, holding the position during two periods under the governments of Babrak Karmal and Dr. Najibullah.
He served as prime minister during the rule of Babrak Karmal and later Dr. Najibullah. Following the fall of Najibullah's government, Keshtmand went to Russia and subsequently sought asylum in Britain.
Read the original reporting at Afghanistan International →
Reliability assessment
Single source provides direct, on-record attribution from named family member (brother Asadullah Keshtmand) via checkable Facebook post; core event of death confirmed with biographical details.
The source language reads straight.
Across the newsrooms
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Afghanistan International
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Filed under
Politics — Sultan Ali Keshtmand, Afghanistan, PDPA, Hazara, Prime Minister
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