Sayed Muhammad Gulabzoi

Sayed Mohammad Gulabzoy
Gulabzoy (centre) leading an Afghan delegation to the Soviet Union
Member of the House of the People for Khost Province
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 December 2005
Minister of Internal Affairs
In office 28 December 1979 – 15 November 1988
Preceded by	Faqir Mohammad Faqir
Succeeded by	Mohammad Aslam Watanjar
Minister of Communications
In office 8 July 1978 – 15 September 1979
Preceded by	Mohammad Aslam Watanjar
Succeeded by	Mohammad Zarif
Personal details
Born	1951 Khost Province, Afghanistan
Political party	People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
Profession	Military officer

Major General Sayed Muhammad Gulabzoi (born 1951) is an Afghan politician.

An ethnic Pashtun from the Zadran tribe, Gulabzoy was born in Paktia Province. An Air Force mechanic by training, he studied at the Air Force college. As an air force officer, he supported Daoud Khan's 1973 coup d'état which overthrew King Zahir Shah, for which he was rewarded with the position of Aide to the Air Force Commander. In 1976, he went to the Soviet Union to study radar technology.

He was recruited into the Khalq faction of the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan by Hafizullah Amin. He held only a minor role in the Saur Revolution of 1978, which brought the PDPA to power. Following the coup, he was appointed aide to President Nur Muhammad Taraki, and later Minister of Communications. As internal struggles grew within the communist regime, he distanced himself from Amin, and joined a group of officers(the "gang of four") plotting against Amin, which also included Aslam Watanjar and Assadullah Sarwari. When their coup failed, the conspirators took refuge in the Soviet embassy on September 14, 1979. In December 1979, Gulabzoy and his allies assisted the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan by serving as guides to the invading Soviet troops.

During the invasion, Soviet forces killed Amin and installed Parcham leader Babrak Karmal in power. Karmal was forced to compose with the rival Khalq faction, as many key posts in the military were still occupied by Khalqis. As a conciliatory measure, Gulabzoy, a prominent Khalqi, was appointed Minister of Interior. As such he was placed in command of the Sarandoy ("Defenders of the Revolution"), a heavily armed paramilitary gendarmerie force.