Rahimullah Yusufzai
Rahimullah Yusufzai was born on 10 September 1954, in Shamozai village of Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He received his early education at his village primary school and then in public schools in Peshawar and Jhelum. Rahimullah also studied at the D.J. Sindh College and the University of Karachi.
As a war correspondent, Yusufzai played a pioneering role, being among the earliest journalists to cover the emergence of the Taliban. In 1995, he ventured into Kandahar, Afghanistan, laying the groundwork for his extensive reporting on the country. Rahimullah conducted the final interview with Osama bin Laden, a testament to his deep understanding of the region’s complex dynamics. His expertise in Afghan affairs spanned decades, dating back to the Soviet Union’s invasion in 1979. Notably, he held the position of editor at The News International, Peshawar Bureau, within the Jang Group, and contributed as an op-ed writer for the monthly publication Newsline. Additionally, served as a correspondent for BBC’s Pashto and Urdu services and for Time magazine.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to journalism, the government of Pakistan honored him with the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence) in 2005. Later, on March 23, 2010, he was bestowed with the Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award (Star of Excellence) by the President of Pakistan for his remarkable achievements in the field. Tragically, Rahimullah Yusufzai succumbed to cancer on September 9, 2021, after bravely battling the illness for fifteen months.
