The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

example, what was the purpose of Amin’s order to kill the members of the family of theprominent Afghan spiritual leader Sibghatullah Mojaddedi? During that operation, in whichSarwari personally participated, eighteen people were captured and executed without trial.What for? The operation produced an effect opposite of what was intended—Mojaddedi,who was in Denmark at the time, upon learning of the execution of his family members,immediately went to Peshawar, where he proclaimed jihad on the Khalqi regime. Heemerged as a prominent leader of the counter-revolutionary movement.The operation against another Muslim leader, Sheikh Sayyid Ahmad Gailani Effendi,appeared even more senseless. Immediately following the revolution, this leader of themost influential Sufi order in Afghanistan, Qadiriya, attempted to establish contacts withTaraki and Amin through the former rector of Kabul University. He wanted to find out whatstatus he would have under the country’s new conditions. However, all of his well-intendedefforts were in vain. Amin ordered his arrest and execution, and also that of his familymembers. Sarwari relayed this order to his subordinates. However, Gailani somehow foundout about Amin’s plans before the operation began. He immediately left Kabul for his estatein Sorhrud, not far from Jalalabad. Accompanied by hundreds of well-armed and fanaticallyloyal murids, he crossed the Afghanistan- Pakistan border. Neither Afghan nor Pakistaniauthorities attempted to prevent him.All of these measures could be considered to be excessive, symptoms of Amin’srevolutionary fervor. However, at the same time there were cases where Sarwari’s peoplesearched and arrested true enemies—Pakistani and Iranian spies, terrorists, provocateurs,and proven participants in anti-government revolts. Yet when Amin was informed of sucharrests, he demanded that Sarwari free them without delay.432