Rafiq Shinwari started his career as a Qawali singer of Radio Pakistan Peshawar Studio in 1961.
He primarily sang the Sufi Poetry of Ameer Hamza Shinwari and Rahman Baba.
Himself a Sufi by heart, Ustad Shinwari used to sing in a rare husky voice, which would leave his audience in a state of trance.
As a music director some of his Pashto movies include Orbal, Ehsan, Qaidi, Dameena, Topak Zama Qanoon, Iqrar, Naway Da Yawai Shpai, and Khana Badosh.
[1] Out of his two sons, namely, Shaifq and Ghulam Ali, the later committed suicide in 1988 due to unknown reasons.