Sarwari studied electronics at a technical college, later transferring to Kabul Polytechnic.
When the Taliban seized Kabul he joined the forces of Ahmad Shah Masoud, who was later to lead the Afghan Northern Alliance.
During the first Taliban rule, Sarwari was the chief intelligence official of the Northern Alliance under Ahmad Shah Massoud.
[2] After the September 11 attacks, he was a major figure in coordinating with the CIA's Jawbreaker team, which worked with the Northern Alliance and prepared the way for further military operations.
After the fall of Kabul, Sarwari and his organization took over the existing Afghan National Directorate of Security, but he was removed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in early 2004 and replaced by Amrullah Saleh.