Pashtun nationalist Ajmal Khattak laid to rest

t('articles.tweet')

* denotes required field.

• Your name *
• Email to *
• Comments *
• CAPTCHA *

Reset

NOWSHERA -- Ajmal Khattak, 85, a veteran Pashtun nationalist leader, journalist and poet, was laid to rest at Akora Khattak in Nowshera district February 8. He died a day earlier from an illness at his home.

Thousands of mourners from across the country attended funeral prayers. A high-level delegation of Afghanistan was also present at the funeral.

He was a member of the North-West Frontier Province assembly and a provincial minister in 1972. He spent several years in self-exile in Afghanistan during the Gen Zia-ul Haq military regime (1977-1988). Khattak served as president of the Awami National Party. He also earned the title of Baba-e-Nazam (Father of poem) for his technically strong poem.