KABUL -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Monday (December 18) announced the resignation of a powerful politician nicknamed the "King of the North".
Balkh Governor Atta Muhammad Noor, 54, a senior leader of the Tajik-dominated Jamiat-e-Islami party, resigned from his post awhile ago, said Ghani's office in a statement.
"President Ashraf Ghani has approved the resignation of the governor of Balkh Mr. Atta Muhammad Noor," the statement said, adding that Eng. Mohammad Daud has been appointed to take his place.
Noor, governor since 2004, had recently been critical of the Ghani-led government. He previously hinted that he might run for president in 2019.
