Why Did Professor Rabbani’s Government Fail?
Author: Mohibullah Noori, former head of the Political Affairs Division of Afghanistan’s National Security Council and a member of the Sangar Advisory Council
In the history of Afghanistan, never before had the Presidential Palace come under such intense rocket fire as it did during the rule of Professor Rabbani. Why this happened—I will explain below.
The government of Professor Rabbani and Shahid Ahmad Shah Massoud in the 1990s faced complex challenges that stemmed from six major plans or projects. Instead of fostering stability in Afghanistan, these projects pursued the opposite goals: adopting one meant rejecting another. Moreover, they contradicted the principles of independence and national unity. Rabbani and Massoud rejected these projects because they either ignored the sovereignty of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, sought to sideline the mujahideen, or led to dependency on foreign influence.
1 – The Russian Plan
The essence of this plan was to hand over the northern part of the country to the Shura-ye Nazar (Supervisory Council), in exchange for Ahmad Shah Massoud abandoning his advance on Kabul. Massoud rejected this project because in practice it meant the partition of Afghanistan.
2 – The Western/Benon Sevan Plan (UN Representative)
Proposed in 1991–1992 by UN Special Envoy Benon Sevan, it envisioned transferring power from Dr. Najibullah and the mujahideen to a joint government. The plan allowed Najibullah and the communist Watan party to participate in the political process. The mujahideen saw this as an attempt to sideline them and preserve remnants of the communist regime. Strong opposition from Hekmatyar’s Islamic Party and Pakistan to any role for Najibullah, along with the sudden fall of Kabul in April 1992, rendered the plan unworkable.
3 – The Pakistan–Hekmatyar Joint Plan
Fully supported by Pakistan’s ISI, this plan positioned Gulbuddin Hekmatyar as the key leader of Afghanistan. It envisioned a coalition between the Islamic Party and the Islamic Society, placing Kabul under Islamabad’s influence. Other parties, ethnic groups, and sects were either ignored or excluded altogether. Furthermore, Afghanistan’s foreign policy was to be aligned with Pakistan. Rabbani rejected this option because it eliminated major political and social forces and subordinated the country to Pakistan.
4 – The Jabal-us-Siraj Plan
Proposed by Ustad Mazari and Marshal Dostum, this plan called for a coalition government between the Islamic Society, the Unity Party, and the National Movement. According to the plan, Ahmad Shah Massoud would become president, Abdul Ali Mazari prime minister, and General Dostum defense minister. However, this project ignored the southern parties (especially the Islamic Party) and concentrated power in the north and central regions. It effectively excluded a portion of the mujahideen from governance. By its restrictive nature, it clashed with Rabbani’s vision of an inclusive government.
5 – The Taliban Project
Even before the official formation of the Taliban movement, its future members issued an ultimatum to Rabbani: ban women from working, prevent girls from studying, and limit Shia participation in governance. Otherwise, they threatened an uprising. This plan directly contradicted the principles of social freedom, gender equality, and religious inclusivity upheld by the Islamic State. The threat of rebellion directly undermined the foundations of the state.
6 – The Zahir Shah / Bonn Option
Certain elements of this plan, later discussed at the Bonn Conference by figures such as Khalilzad, Ashraf Ghani, and the Rome Council, involved the return of former King Mohammed Zahir Shah to Kabul and the formation of an inclusive government through a Loya Jirga. However, strong opposition from Pakistan, segments of the mujahideen, and internal rivalries prevented its realization. Rabbani viewed this project as symbolic and traditional, but impractical under wartime conditions. Although Rabbani and Massoud supported the idea of a transitional inclusive government and elections, they disagreed with the approach ultimately adopted by their successors at the Bonn Conference.
Conclusion
The government of Professor Rabbani and Shahid Ahmad Shah Massoud rejected all six of these projects because they entailed either the monopolization of power by certain internal factions, external interference, or the erosion of national independence. Instead, they insisted on the creation of an inclusive, moderate, and balanced government encompassing all political and social forces, to be realized through the mechanism of elections.
