Abdul Hakim Haqqani

Abdul Hakim Haqqani (Pashto: عبد الحكيم حقاني Pashto pronunciation: [ˈabdʊl haˈkim haqɑˈni]), also known as Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai (Pashto: عبد الحكيم اسحاقزى Pashto pronunciation: [ˈabdʊl haˈkim ɪshaqˈzai])and Abdul Hakim Sharie (Pashto: عبدالحکیم شرعی Pashto pronunciation: [ˈabdʊl haˈkim ʃaˈrai]; also spelt Sharai or Sharia), is an Afghan Islamic scholar, writer who has served as the chief justice of Afghanistan and minister of justice since 2021. He has also served as chief justice of the Supreme Court in the 1996–2001 Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. He was the chairman of the negotiation team in the Qatar office. He is one of the founding members of the Taliban and was a close associate of the late leader Mullah Mohammed Omar.

He was born to Mawlawi Khudaidad in 1967 in the Panjwayi District of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. He graduated from Darul Uloom Haqqania, a Deobandi Islamic seminary (darul uloom), in Pakistan, and taught there.

Teaching

Apart from teaching at the Darul Uloom Haqqania, until recently he also ran his own Islamic seminary or madrasa in the Ishaqabad area of Quetta, in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.

Judiciary

During the rule of the first Islamic Emirate, in addition to teaching, he also served in the Appellate Court and at the Central Dar ul-Ifta. Following the appointment of Hibatullah Akhundzada as Supreme Leader, Ishaqzai was appointed Chief Justice.

Diplomacy

In September 2020, he was appointed the Taliban's chief negotiator for peace talks in Qatar with the government of Afghanistan, replacing Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, who became his deputy in the 21-member negotiating team.

International sanctions due to alleged violation of women's rights

On 20 July 2023, Hakim Haqqani was sanctioned by the EU due to his instrumental role as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in implementing policies and spreading ideological teachings aimed at creating and justifying gender-based repressions against women in Afghanistan.

Specializing in Islamic jurisprudence, especially its justice system, Hakim Haqqani has books on various subjects which have been translated into many languages, including Bengali.