Said Jalal Karim is a citizen of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
who was a candidate in
Afghanistan's 2009 Presidential elections.
[
]
Academic career
Karim started attending
Istiqlal High School in 1975 at age six, and graduated in 1977 at age eight.
[
He received admission to ]Kabul University
Kabul University (KU; prs, دانشگاه کابل, translit= Dāneshgāh-e-Kābul; ps, د کابل پوهنتون, translit=Da Kābul Pohantūn) is one of the major and oldest institutions of higher education in Afghanistan. It is in the 3rd ...
in 1978. He attended Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
instead. However, according to a profile by the Pajhwok Afghan News
, logo =
, image =
, image_size =
, type = Independent news agency
, headquarters = Kabul, Afghanistan
, language = English, Dari, Pashto
, founded = 2003
, founder = Danish Karokhel
, ...
, President Hafizullah Amin
Hafizullah Amin (Pashto/ prs, حفيظ الله امين; 1 August 192927 December 1979) was an Afghan communist revolutionary, politician and teacher. He organized the Saur Revolution of 1978 and co-founded the Democratic Republic of Afghan ...
ordered his return to Afghanistan.
Upon his return to Afghanistan, he and his father were then sent to Moscow University.[
In 1980, his remaining family members were able to make their way to ]Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, which allowed Karim and his father to follow them. From Pakistan, he made his way to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
where he studied engineering, physics and Arabic at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) ( ar, جامعة الملك فهد للبترول و المعادن, – short: ar, جامعة البترول ), after 1975 as the University of Petroleum and Minerals and initially as the ...
. However, he left the University after three years at age 14. He graduated from the Faculty of Law and Political Science University of Beirut, Alexandria branch.
Adult life
According to his ''Pajhwok Afghan News'' profile, Karim became a successful entrepreneur.[
According to the profile, in the early 1990s, he was called upon to serve as a mediator between warring groups in the civil war that followed the ouster of the communists.
The profile said he founded a radio station known as ''" The Voice of Afghanistan"'', which ''"advances the interests of independent, moderate Afghans from outside the country."''.][
]
Presidential candidacy, 2009
A week before the election, fellow candidate Mawlana Abdul Qadir İmami Ghori withdrew from the race and asked his supporters to vote for Karim instead.[
]
During the 2009 Presidential elections, he stood 13th in a field of 38.[
]
He won 500,572 votes.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karim, Sayed Jalal
1969 births
Living people
Afghan politicians