Sardar Shah Mahmud Khan (Pashto/Dari: سردار شاه محمود خان – b:1890 d: 27 December 1959) was the Prime Minister of Afghanistan from May 1946 to 7 September 1953, under King Mohammad Zahir Shah's monarchy.

He was a brother of King Mohammad Nadir Shah, who ousted Habibullāh Kalakāni (also known as Bacha-ye Saqao), and uncle of both Zahir Shah and Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan, his eventual successor.

[citation needed] He was married to Safora Sultan, a sister of Amanullah Khan[1] Under his leadership, relatively free 1949 elections were permitted, in response to a mostly middle-class youth movement wanting reforms.

Also during his time as Prime Minister, the Pakistani state was formed following India's independence from the United Kingdom.

The Afghans contended that the Pashtuns living in the border regions of Pakistan should be given a choice to join Afghanistan or form an independent state, which led to tense relations with Pakistan from the onset.