Afghan Biographies

Turabi, Nooruddin Mullah


Name Turabi, Nooruddin Mullah
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1958
Function/Grade Taliban Leader
History and Biodata

2. Previous Functions:

Justice Minister (2000)
in charge of Afghan Prisons (20210924)
Deputy of the Afghan Red Crescent Society (20220813)

3. Biodata:
turabi_nooruddinOne-legged Mullah Nooruddin Toorabi (He has lost his leg below the knee.) Mullah Nooruddin Turabi Nooruddin Turabi Muhammad Qasim (aka: Noor ud Din Turabi) was born 1958 in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Later he lived in Chora District, Uruzgan Province. At his age he is already one of the oldest Ex Taliban leaders--and was one of the most feared. His mission remained the creation of an Islamic utopia from which riches will follow in abundance. The position has been spelled out by Turabi.

A hardliner, who was not only in charge of the Taliban Justice Ministry but he was also the head of the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Suppression of Vice. It enforced the movement's strict interpretation of Islamic law, which includes public executions for convicted murderers and amputations for thieves.

He is believed to have played a role in the destruction of two, 1,500-year-old sandstone Buddha statues that once towered some 180 feet high in central Afghanistan. The Taliban, who considered them symbols of paganism, destroyed them in 2001.

Early Jan 2002 seven former Taliban leaders surrender to the Northern Alliance near Kandahar, Afghanistan, but were released. Turabi was one of two are on a US list of twelve most wanted Taliban leaders: Defense Minister Mullah Obaidullah Akhund and Justice Minister Mullah Nooruddin Turabi. They surrendered 1/7/02 and were released 1/8/02 by Afghans before US could question them and given general amnesty in early January 2002.

For the time being Mullah Nooruddin Toorabi lives in Pakistan and is unter control of Pakistani authorities. Now Pakistan has agreed to free some Afghan Taliban prisoners that could be useful in reconciliation efforts, officials from both countries said on 20121114. The names of Turabi, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Mullah Jahangirwal (former secretary of Mullah Mohammad Omar) and Allahdad Tayab (former Deputy Minister) are being mulled.

Taliban Justice Minister Nooruddin Turabi was among those eight prisoners released on 20121115.

The eight prisoners on the list were:

—Turabi.(confirmed 20121231)

—Jahangirwal, who was a special assistant for the Taliban’s top leader, Mullah Omar.

—Qutub, a Taliban leader.

—Abdul Salaam, the Taliban’s former governor of Baghlan province.

—Maulvi Matiullah, who was director of the customs house in Kabul under the Taliban regime;

—Muhamad, the Taliban’s former governor of Kunduz province.

—Sayed Sadruddin Agha, a former Taliban commander.

—Allah Dad, the Taliban’s former deputy minister of communication.(confirmed 210121231)

Turabi – who returned to Afghanistan after 20 years of exile in Pakistan – also said the new justice system will mirror the previous Taliban order, though with some “changes”.(20210924)

Last Modified 2022-08-14
Established 2012-11-14