Zabihullah Kalim, a graduate of Al Azhar University in Egypt and the University of California, assumed office as the acting attorney general at a ceremony in Kabul on Sunday, during which he was asked by Second Vice President Sarwar Danesh to not bow to pressure from strongmen and the wealthy.
 
He was also asked by the second vice president to ensure justice and to strengthen the fight against corruption. 
 
“(The attorney general) should not be influenced by anyone in ensuring justice; otherwise, the Attorney General’s Office will change into a tool for strongmen or wealthy men,” Danesh said. 
 
Kalim has served in various government institutions and the United Nations. He has served as general director of government cases from 2018 to 2020 and, recently, he served in one of the departments of the National Directorate of Security. 
 
He vowed to work to fight corruption, injustice and discrimination.
 
“We will make an effort to pay serious attention to areas that have been neglected… all these have been mentioned in my 100-day plan and have been approved by government leadership,” Kalim said. 
 
Lawyers said the involvement of politicians in major corruption cases handled by the Attorney General’s Office is a main challenge faced by the appointee.
 
“There are big corruption cases and some of them are not even being investigated … there are some cases that are under investigation,” said Rohullah Sakhizad, a lawyer.