Fazal Hadi Shinwari

Fazal Hadi Shinwari, born in 1927 in Shinwar, Afghanistan, was an influential Afghan cleric and jurist. He served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Afghanistan from January 2002 until August 2006. Appointed by President Hamid Karzai, Shinwari played a crucial role in the post-Taliban restructuring of Afghanistan's judicial system. An ethnic Pashtun from Jalalabad, he was also a member of the Ittehad-al-Islami party. Shinwari was known for his conservative views on Islamic law and education, advocating for gender-segregated education and leading efforts to ban Cable TV. Despite his conservative stance, he distanced himself from the Taliban's interpretation of Islam. His tenure as Chief Justice was marked by the reinstatement of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, reflecting his commitment to Islamic orthodoxy. Shinwari passed away on February 21, 2011, in India, after suffering a stroke. His legacy includes his contributions to the legal and religious discourse in Afghanistan.