Afghan Social Democratic Party (Afghan Mellat)
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Afghan Social Democratic Party
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| Leader | Stanagul Sherzad |
| Founded | 1966 |
| Ideology |
Pashtun Nationalism Social Democracy (Officially) |
The Afghan Social Democratic Party, more commonly known as Afghan Mellat (Pashto: افغان ملت – Afğān Mellat; "Afghan Nation"), is a Pashtun nationalist political party in Afghanistan. Controversially, the party's leadership describes it as social democratic, but it is not recognized as such by the Socialist International. The party's current leader is Stanagul Sherzad who became the new leader after the 6th party congress on October 3, 2012.
Afghan Social Democratic Party was founded on March 8, 1966 by a group of influential bureaucrats associated with the ruling elites. However, it was officially declared on March 27 of that year.
Ghulam Mohammad Farhad, an Afghan intellectual served as the first President of the party. Afghan Mellat looks after the interests of the Pashtun ethnic group and has its support only from them. The party favors the ideas of Pashtunization of Afghanistan and a Greater Afghanistan (i.e. it claims the Pashtun-speaking parts of Pakistan for Afghanistan).
In the 1969 parliamentary elections, Farhad was elected to the parliament.
After the Saur Revolution in 1978, the party was banned. Farhad was imprisoned, but released in 1980.
In exile in Pakistan, the party operated under the auspices of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan.
In 1986–1987, dialogues took place between the government and the party and some leading party members were released from prison. However, the party chose to stay outside of the governing coalition. The relations with the government split the party into three factions; with one faction led by Shams-ul-Huda Shams, one by Qudratullah Hadad and the other by Mohammad Amin Wakman. It is Wakman faction that is currently led by Afghanistan's Finance Minister,Anwar-ul-Haq Ahady, the son-in-law of the NIFA leader Pir Gailani.
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