As their influence grew, this original subtribe of Sulaimankhel got recognition as a tribe of its own[1] and are considered to be good leaders and fighters, also lauded for their knowledge of Pushtunwali.
[3] Due to the history of deportations, pockets of Ahmadzai can also be found in Kunduz, Baghlan, and Balkh provinces.
[4] Generally, Ahmadzai can be found among the leaders on both sides of Afghan political divides: for example, during the Soviet-Afghan war some tribesmen were serving as officers in the army, others were manning the mujahideen groups.
A subgroup of Jabbarkhel, the Arsala khel, hailing from the Hisarak district on Nangahar province, was known as "resistance royalty" in the 1980s.
The former Afghan presidents Ashraf Ghani (2014–2021) and Mohammad Najibullah (1987–1992) belonged to the Ahmadzai tribe (the former had dropped his tribal name after his election in 2014).