Sultan Ali Keshtmand

It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our beloved Sultan Ali Keshtmand, who left us on March 13th. To those of us who knew him, he was not just a towering figure in Afghanistan’s modern history, but a man of profound warmth, a loyal friend, and a devoted patriarch whose quiet strength anchored our family through decades of change. I’ll never forget the way his eyes would soften when he spoke of his wife, his children, and later, his grandchildren—his true pride and joy. Our home was always filled with the sound of his laughter, a deep, rumbling sound that could turn a tense moment into a shared smile. Baba, as we called him, found his simplest happiness in the rhythms of daily life. He tended his garden with a patient devotion, coaxing roses and herbs from the soil as if tending to his hopes for our country. He loved nothing more than gathering us around, sharing endless cups of tea while spinning stories—not of politics, but of his youth in Kabul, of the beauty of the Afghan mountains, and of the old poets whose verses he could recite by heart. These were the moments he cherished most: the shared silence, the whispered jokes, the feeling of being completely, unconditionally together. His public life was one of immense responsibility and courage, serving our nation during some of its most challenging chapters. Yet, those who worked alongside him will remember the leader who listened more than he spoke, who sought counsel from the young and the old alike, and who carried the weight of his office with a humble, weary grace. He taught us that true strength lies in perseverance and in holding onto one’s principles with a steady hand, even when the world