Ghulam Jilani Popal

In 2012, Ghulam Jelani Popal, commonly referred to as Jelani Popal, was appointed as the Governance Advisor to the President of Afghanistan. From September 2007 to December 2010, he was appointed as the first Director General of the Independent Directorate Local Governance (IDLG) in Afghanistan. Between 2003 and 2005 after the collapse of the Taliban and establishment of the new Afghan Government, Mr. Popal served as Deputy Minister for Customs and Revenue under the Ministry of Finance Ministry of Finance (Afghanistan).

Ghulam Jelani Popal was the Vice President of Afghan Social Democratic Party (Afghan Mellat). Since last year the post of a vice president in the Afghan Mellat does not exist anymore. He does not play any important role in the party anymore.

Mr. Popal was born in the Barikot neighborhood of Kabul, Afghanistan, where his forefathers settled during the reign of Timur Shah Abdali when the Afghan Capital was moved from Kandahar to Kabul. He is a graduate of Habibia High School and the Faculty of Law at Kabul University. Between 1982 and 1989, he was the program officer for the Salvation Army Refugee Assistance Program in Pakistan. Mr. Popal founded and managed the Afghan Development Association between 1990 and 2000, and was also one of the 7 founding directors of Afghan Health And Development Services (AHDS). Between 1995 and 1999, he was a representative of the Afghan Civil Society to the United Nations. From 2000-2003, he worked as the Senior Social Worker for San Joaquin County, California, United States. He has attended numerous management and development courses in Europe and the United States and is fluent in English, Pashtu, Dari, and Urdu.