The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

within the party, none of the Khalqis dared to reproach Khyber for anything undignified. Hewas a fervent supporter of party reconciliation. He was a pure-hearted revolutionary,devoted to the noble cause.“So why was he the one who was assassinated?” Karmal pondered. “Could it bebecause our enemies needed to provoke me, Taraki, members of the Central Committee,the entire party, to openly rebel against the regime? Did they need to provoke us to committhe actions that would be qualified as attempts to organize mass riots and incite therebellion? Perhaps they needed Taraki and me to appear as figureheads at a show trial?”The murder of Mir Akbar Khyber shook the entire party, and not only PDPAmembers. Even those who supported the Western-inspired scenario for Afghanistan’sdevelopment perceived the assassination as a “plot of dark forces” that signified the lack ofreadiness on the part of Daoud’s regime to enter a civilized dialogue with the opposition.Anger also boiled up within society because such an ignoble crime directly challenged theprinciples of Afghanistan’s ancient code of honor: Pashtunwali. That was why the city wasso emotionally charged when news spread about Khyber’s assassination.Party leaders understood that turning Khyber’s funeral into a mass action wouldprovide them with a unique opportunity to demonstrate the power and unity of theirorganization. They wanted to demonstrate to Daoud’s regime and the population of Kabulthat the PDPA was not only the most numerous but the best organized political force inAfghanistan. Tasks were distributed and responsibilities were assigned on the eve of thefuneral. Some involved the ordering of a hearse and wreaths. Others provided forpreparation of banners, slogans, and portraits of Khyber. A large group of girls was sent tothe countryside in several trucks. They went to Kuhdaman to pick red tulips that were75