The Ministry of Defence of Tajikistan (; ) is the defence ministry of Tajikistan, overseeing the Tajik Ground Forces, Air Force, Mobile Forces. It also oversees purchases of equipment for the Tajik military. The other branches of the military, such as the Border and Internal Troops, are overseen by the Interior Ministry of Tajikistan. The Defence Ministry was founded in 1993 with Russian assistance.
The ministry succeeded the Defense Committee of the Republic of Tajikistan, led by former military commissar of the Tajik SSR General Muminzhan Mamadjanov. It was founded just weeks after the Soviet Union was officially dissolved and months after Tajikistan declared its independence. The committee went through multiple phases, with one of its chairmen, Farukh Niyazov, being dismissed on 7 May 1992 at the request of the opposition. The armed forces was led in the interim by Major General Farukhsitdin Rakhmonov.
The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan was established by a presidential decree on January 4, 1993. The ministry was under joint Tajik and Russian control until February 1993, when the armed forces were founded. At the time, 200 officers were sent from Uzbekistan to serve in the new Tajik agency on the orders of future President Emomali Rahmon. In 1994, with assistance from the Russian 201st Military Base and Russian authorities in Moscow, the Tajik ministry became fully functional in leading the armed forces under the directive of the President of Tajikistan. On 18 July 1996, a terrorist attack took place at the grounds of the defense ministry, which resulted in the death of one person and the injury of nine people. In September 2015, a group of armed military personnel led by Abduhalim Nazarzoda attacked the defense ministry in an attempt to overthrow the Rahmon government.
The Press Centre of the Ministry of Defence () has been operating as an part of the Central Office since 1993 and is subordinated to the Minister of Defence. The head of the press centre is appointed and dismissed directly by the Minister of Defence. The staff of the Press Centre consists of a mix of military and civilian personnel. The centre is headed by the following press secretaries: Colonel Faridun Mahmadalizoda (2007âÂÂpresent). In 2015, as a result of military reforms in the ministry, the Information and Recreation Centre was established subordinated to the Press Centre. It includes the following:
The Newspaper "Defender of the Homeland" () was founded on 10 December 1993, a day when the first issue of which was published in two languages, Tajik and Russian. In its first days of its existence, when it was limited to 11 soldiers. The following have been the newspaper's editor-in-chief:
The motto of the publication is "Bravery, honour and loyalty" ().
The Military Medical Department was established in 1999 in the Central Office of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense. The military medical department and the military hospital operated in the building of the Central Office until 2004. In 2009, the Medical Department, the Military Medical Commission and the Military Hospital received a new building in Shohmansur.
The Central Military Hospital of the Ministry of Defence () is a military hospital for the Tajik Armed Forces. It is located at 40th years of Victory Road in Dushanbe. It cooperates with the Medical Faculty of the Tajik National University.
The House of Officers () is a cultural centre and gentlemen's club of the national army. Construction on the building took place between 2012 and 2016 and was built within the framework of a military agreement between the armed forces and the People's Liberation Army of China. It was commissioned by President Rahmon on 5 May 2016. The building consists of five floors and basement area. Rooms in the building include a swimming pool, a large dining room, working rooms and service centres, assembly halls, recreation and entertainment areas and living compartments. There are approximately 20 bedrooms available in the building. The six-storey building is located on Foteh Niazi Avenue in central squares in Dushanbe.
Previously, a House of Officers carrying the name of Marshal Klement Voroshilov was located in Dushanbe from 1930 to 2003, being controlled by the Russian 201st Military Base.
The Central Army Sports Club has been operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Defense since 2003. Athletes of this club, contribute to the development of sports in the Armed Forces as well as the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Since its inception, it has won 570 gold, 371 silver, 407 bronze medals and a total of 1348 honorary awards.
CSKA Pamir Dushanbe is also affiliated with the defence ministry.
Since 1996, the Women's Council has been working under the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Tajikistan.
These institutions are the seniormost of their kind in the Tajik Armed Forces.