Afghanistan’s Communist Epoch: A Comparative Study of Khalq and Parcham Factions of People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) in the Years 1965-78

Abstract

People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) was the first political party founded on 1 January, 1965, based on Communist principles, following constitutional reforms, introduced by King Zahir Shah on 1 October, 1964. The party program was adopted at the founding congress, espousing nationalist democratic reforms, a national democratic government and non-capitalist economic system with emphasis on industrialization and nationalization of foreign trade to improve the condition of the people. After two years of its formation, in 1967, the party was split into Khalq and Parcham factions along with differences on policy issues, personality clashes and the socio-economic background of the constituencies from which each would draw support. This study critically examines the ideological, organizational, and socio-political differences between the Khalq and Parcham factions of the PDPA (1965–78), drawing on archival sources and secondary scholarship to evaluate their role in Afghanistan’s revolutionary trajectory. The present study evaluates the factional differences between their strategies; Khalq adopted a strict posture, whereas Parcham gave priority to a moderate one, especially in relation to the regimes of Sardar Daud Khan and Zahir Shah. It will also provide an overview of the re-unified PDPA's Saur Revolution endeavor to alter the current system of exploitation of the poor.  

         Keywords: Communism, Afghanistan, PDPA, Khalq, Parcham