Abdul Hakim Haqqani

Abdul Hakim Haqqani (عبد الحكيم حقاني ; born 1967), also known as Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai (عبد الحكيم اسحاقزى ),  is an Afghan Islamic scholar and writer who has been the chief justice of Afghanistan since 2021 in the internationally unrecognized Taliban regime. 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 Taliban 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.

Early life
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.

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