Afghan Biographies

Rohani, Mawlawi Pir Mohammed


Name Rohani, Mawlawi Pir Mohammed
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth
Function/Grade Ex Taliban Official
History and Biodata

2. Previous Functions:
Head of the Supreme Court's administrative affairs department (2005)
High Peace and Reconcilliation Council Member (2010)
National Ulema Council Member,

3. Biodata:
Maulvi Pir Muhammad Rohani hails  from Khost Province. He joined the Taliban even before the movement took control of the government in 1996. For him and many others it was the best chance to bring law and order to a country then in the grip of anarchy. A religious scholar, he was later appointed Chancellor of Kabul University in what was then known as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.He replaced Dr. Amir Hassanyar, who has a doctorate in ecology from Colorado University in the United States.

When the United States invaded in 2001, Rohani initially wanted to fight. But after the sheer ferocity of American airpower became apparent, he changed his mind and fled to Pakistan. He stayed there until 2005, hardly leaving his house in Miranshah, a town in North Waziristan that is these days regularly pummeled by American drones. He claims most Taliban at that time sought a quiet life away from the battlefield, but were pushed into taking up arms because they were hunted down regardless.

Rohani is just one of several former Taliban leaders who left the movement after the US-led invasion only to see it flourish without him. Still fond of their old associates and sympathetic toward the insurgency, they find themselves caught in a dangerous limbo. Despite reconciling with the Afghan government, they do not fully accept it. Nor do they trust the warlords within its ranks who previously fought them as part of the Northern Alliance.

Mawlawi Pir Mohammad Rohani, who served as the rector of Kabul University during the rule of the Taliban regime, has been appointed administrative chief of the Supreme Court, Hindukosh News Agency reported on 14 July 2005 Chief Justice Mawlawi Fazl Hadi Shinwari recommended Rohani for the position as the head of the Supreme Court's administrative affairs department. His appointment was approved by President Karzai.

Last Modified 2012-12-05
Established 2012-12-05