Because of Parcham's links with the Kingdom of Afghanistan, initially wishing to keep the constitutional monarchy intact, it was derisively referred to as the "Royal Communist Party" by their Khalqist rivals.

However, in the following years, widespread reports of Parchami participation in the death of anti-communist former Primer Minister Mohammad Hashim Maiwandwal led to members of Parcham being purged from Khan's administration and persecuted by his regime.

Very soon after the revolution however, Parchamites were again purged from the government by the hardline leadership of Muhammad Taraki, who strictly opposed their alleged "revisionism", and the regime eventually went into a reign of terror, jailing and executing many Parchamis who were accused of deviating from Marxism-Leninism.

The Parcham faction eventually gained power in the country after the overthrowing of Hafizullah Amin in December 1979 by the Soviet Union's Operation Storm-333 intervention, which supported a more moderate and pragmatic leadership.

The new government under Parcham leader Babrak Karmal struggled to win popularity after the excesses of the Khalqists, and they were now low in numbers following the mass executions committed by the Khalq regime from 1978–1979.