Afghan Biographies

Noorzai, Arif Mohammad Aref Nurzai


Name Noorzai, Arif Mohammad Aref Nurzai
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1959
Function/Grade Ex Wolesi Jirga Member 2018 MP MNA Kandahar
History and Biodata

2. Previous Functions:
Minister of small Industries Interims Government,
Ministerof Borders and Tribal Affairs (2001 transitional Government)
Wolesi Jirga Member 2005 MNA MP Kandahar and Deputy Speaker,
Adviser to President Hamid Karzai on security and tribal issues (20091120 -20120000),
Mohammad Arif Noorzai (20131028-20140930)
Mohammad Arif Noorzai acting Minister of Water and Energy (20141001)
Wolesi Jirga Member 2018 MP MNA Kandahar

3. Biodata
noorzai_arifMohammad Arif Noorzai was born 1959 in Kandahar Province. He is a member of the Pashtun ethnic group, and the Noorzai tribe. He is related to President Hamid Karzai through marriage, and is a high school graduate. He was a student of Faculty of Agriculture of Kabul University, but did not finsh due to Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.  He graduated from the Al-Biruni school of Kabul city. He was then an undergraduate fellow in the Engineering field at Polytechnic University, but when the conflict began in Afghanistan, he joined the Front to fight Soviet Union.

During the period of Islamic State of Afghanistan role led by Burhanuddin Rabbani, Noorzai served as the commander of 7th Division. In the 16th round of the parliament, he served as the first deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.


Noorzai is a 2005 Wolesi Jirga Member and was a Deputy Speaker. As an Adviser of President Karzai on security and tribal issues he is involved in the talks with a HIA Delegation (March 2010). His Deputy is Maqbul Ahmad, who is also involved in the talks.

Independent Directorate for the Protection of Public Spaces and Highways by Tribal Support’ was led by former Minister for Tribal and Border Affairs and former deputy speaker of the Wolesi Jirga, Aref Nurzai. It was established by presidential decree already in April 2009, opened an office and hired staff in summer and – before the elections that can change things like this - recruited twenty provincial directors (for provinces along the major highways), some of whom have started activities already identifying possible members of ‘community forces’. At the same time, the directorate has no officially approved tashkil (structure) yet.

Arif Khan Nurzai, head of the Nurzai tribe, is being overlooked in some quarters in terms of his potential to influence his tribesmen, who constitute a significant component of the Taliban in Helmand and Kandahar (20100330)

Mohammad Arif Noorzai received 177 confidence votes, 12 no confidence votes, 40 invalid votes and 3 blank votes, and was confirmed for the post of minister of energy and water.(20131225)

Eng. Mohammad Arif Noorzai received 3,976 votes in Wolesi Jirga election 2018 and got a seat in WJ 2018.

Rohullah Khanzada, Mirwais Yasini, Mir Rahman Rahmani, Waqif Hakimi, Sediq Ahmad Osmani, Arif Noorzai, and Kamal Naser Osuli are possible candidates for the position of Speaker of the Wolesi Jirga (20190516)

He is married and lives in Kandahar.

Noorzai speaks Pashtu, Dari and English

 

Last Modified 2019-10-21
Established 2009-10-12