Akhtar Shoukat was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. He has graduated from Ansari High School, and then joined Kabul Polytechnic Institute. In 1987, he moved to India, and in 1989 he immigrated to Canada. He currently resides in the city of Newmarket, near Toronto Canada. He has started learning music with Professor Roneen Chaterji while he was in Kabul for about 2 years, and then he moved to India to continue the study of Indian Classical Music. He has completed the Indian Classical Music Diploma Program, under the Arts faculty of Delhi University in 2 years.

He is considered one of the best known ghazal singers from Afghanistan today. He is not only an accomplished ghazal singer, but an exceptional and seasoned composer as well. His unique compositional pieces feauring the fusion of appropriate Persian ghazals with the aura of Indian classical ragas, has brought a new taste and style in the Persian ghazal singing in Afghanistan. He has released four CDs so far, three of which he has made available in this Website for listening. The latest & 4th Album "Ghazal-e Shab" is available for purchase by following the Store link. He is currently working on a number of projects, including a new Urdu Ghazal Album and Farsi Ghazal Album both performed in a live setting with Harmonium and Tabla.