PESHAWAR: Prominent educationist and former vice-chancellor of several universities Ajmal Khan breathed his last after a short illness at a local hospital here on Monday.

His funeral prayer will be offered at the University of Peshawar, where he served for several decades, today (Tuesday) at 2pm. He will be laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard in Utmanzai in Charsadda district where his funeral prayer will be offered at 4pm.

Known for his best qualities of management and administration, the soft spoken Ajmal Khan left four daughters and a widow to mourn his death.

He was the grandson of former chief minister Abdul Jabbar Khan popularly known as Dr Khan Sahib, who was the elder brother of renowned freedom fighter and Pashtoon nationalist leader Abdul Ghaffar Khan known as Bacha Khan.

Ajmal Khan retired in 2016 after serving for 43 long years in various capacities at different universities of the province.

His last assignment of his career was as vice-chancellor of the historic Islamia College University. He served as vice-chancellor of ICU for eight years in two tenures. However, during his eight years vice-chancellorship, he remained in the captivity of militants for four years.

Kidnapped by Taliban in September 2010 from outside his residence in Professors Colony, his release had been managed in August 2014.

Ajmal Khan had great love for University of Peshawar and Islamia College. During interviews with different media outlets, he said that he joined Islamia College in 2002 as principal and served in the capacity for three years and left it for Gomal University where he was appointed vice-chancellor in 2005. He returned to Islamia College, when it was upgraded as a university in 2008 and was appointed its first vice-chancellor.

Ajmal Khan got primary education at Presentation Convent School, Murree. Later, he was enrolled at Army Burn Hall College Abbottabad where he did his matriculation. He did his graduation from Edwardes College Peshawar and got master degree in economics from University of Peshawar. He also did LLB from University of Peshawar.

After completing his education, Ajmal Khan joined Edwardes College as a warden in 1973, but soon he was elevated as lecturer. In 1976, he got position of education officer in federal ministry of education, but left it after only three months to rejoin Edwardes College.

In 1979, Ajmal Khan left Edwardes College once again and joined Allama Iqbal University where he served for one year. His next destination was Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan as a lecturer but his stay there was for one and a half years only.

In 1982, he joined University of Peshawar as deputy provost and then got elevated as provost. Later, he was made registrar of the university.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2023