Mawlawi Sheikh Noor Mohammad Saqib, a prominent cleric and seasoned member of the Taliban's leadership council, assumed the position of Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs in September 2021. Born in 1964 in Khulm district, Samangan province, to the late Haji Sardar Khan, Noor Mohammad Saqib, received his early education in various locations, including his village of Hassankhel, as well as in Shoor Bazaar, Sarai Khwaja, and Qalai Ahmad Khan areas in Kabul. In 1978, he moved to Pakistan, where he studied in multiple madrassas in Punjab and the former North West Frontier Province (now known as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), including at the Darul Uloom Islamia Arabia Gujarat, Darul Uloom Rustam, Darul Uloom Ahnaf Mirzo in Shabqadar, Darul Uloom Arabia in Tal, Anwarul Uloom in Gujranwala, and Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak. After joining the Taliban movement, Saqib held important roles in Kabul, Nangarhar, and Kunar provinces. In 1996, he led the Central Dar-ul-Ifta in Kandahar province, later becoming the deputy head of the Taliban’s supreme court before ascending to the role of Chief Justice in 1998. He is listed on the UN's sanctions list under the designation TAi.110.
