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The Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan (Dari: Hezb-e Wahdat-e Islami Afghanistan) is a political party in Afghanistan, currently serving as the largest Shia political group in the country. It consists mainly of people of Hazara ethnicity who inhabit the central area of Afghanistan. Hezb-e Wahdat which means the party of unity is the only party really promoting unity between Afghans regardless to ethnicity or religion.
The founder and ideological leader of the party was Abdul Ali Mazari, who rallied nine smaller Hazara and Shia political groups during the Soviet invasion from 1979 to 1989. The Wahdat party helped with the Afghan resistance in defeating the Soviet invasion. They then helped overthrow the Communist government in Kabul led by Soviet-puppet, Najibullah. When a new government was forced into Kabul led by warlords of the Jamiat-e-Islami Afghanistan party, Wahdat was denied any political positions within the cabinet.
Following the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan and the downfall of the Taliban government, a transitional government made up of several political groups, including Hezbe Wahdat, was formed. Members of Hezbe Wahdat currently serve in the Afghan Parliament, though due to voting laws requiring single non-transferable voting, it is unknown what proportion of the Parliament Hezbe Wahdat makes up.
