Mawlawi Sheikh Noor Mohammad Saqib, a prominent cleric and seasoned member of the Taliban's leadership council, has served as Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs since September 2021.
Born in 1964 in Khulm district, Samangan province, to the late Haji Sardar Khan, he received his early education in his native Hassankhel village and in several areas of Kabul, including Shoor Bazaar, Sarai Khwaja, and Qalai Ahmad Khan. In 1978, he moved to Pakistan, where he pursued religious studies at multiple madrassas across Punjab and the former North West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), including Darul Uloom Islamia Arabia Gujarat, Darul Uloom Rustam, Darul Uloom Ahnaf Mirzo (Shabqadar), Darul Uloom Arabia (Tal), Anwarul Uloom (Gujranwala), and Darul Uloom Haqqania (Akora Khattak).
After joining the Taliban movement, Saqib held key roles in Kabul, Nangarhar, and Kunar provinces. In 1996, he led the Central Dar-ul-Ifta in Kandahar province and later became deputy head of the Taliban’s Supreme Court before serving as Chief Justice in 1998.
He reportedly holds an Afghanistan diplomatic passport D0009914 (issued May 10, 2022; expires May 10, 2027), listing a birth date of September 18, 1963. He is listed under the United Nations sanctions regime under the designation TAi.110.
