Mohammad Yousef Pashtun ( ps, یوسف پښتون ) is an Afghan
technocrat and politician. He served as Minister of Urban Development and Housing for two terms (2002-2003, 2005-2010) and as Governor of
Kandahar province
Kandahār ( ps, ; Kandahār, prs, ; ''Qandahār'') is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southern part of the country, sharing a border with Pakistan, to the south. It is surrounded by Helmand in the west, Uruzgan ...
in 2003, replacing
Gul Agha Sherzai
Gul Agha Sherzai (), also known as Mohammad Shafiq, is a politician in Afghanistan. He is the former governor of Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan.
He previously served as Governor of Kandahar province, in the early 1990s and from 2001 ...
under President
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai (; Pashto/ fa, حامد کرزی, , ; born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan statesman who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014, including as the first elected president of the Islamic Repub ...
's administration. In 2010, he was appointed as Senior Adviser to President Karzai on Construction, Mines, Water & Energy. In 2014, minister Pashtun continued to serve as Senior Adviser to President
Ashraf Ghani
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (born 19 May 1949) is an Afghan politician, academic, and economist who served as the president of Afghanistan from September 2014 until August 2021, when his government was overthrown by the Taliban.
Born in L ...
. Yِousef Pashtun is also chairing the Kabul New City Development Authority Board.
Biography
Yousef Pashtun, an ethnic Pashtun of the Barakzai tribe, was born in the city of Kandahar. He was born to one of the elite families of Kandahar on November 15, 1946. His grandfather, General Mohammad Nabi Khan was the Army Chief of Southern Zone of Afghanistan during the Third Afghan - Anglo War under the command of King Amanullah Khan. His father, Brigadier Mohammad Ghani Khan, served as Corps Commander of Eastern and afterwards Northern Zone of Afghanistan. His maternal grandfather Haji Gul Muhammad Khan was an active politician and key figure in Southern Afghanistan's political leadership. Pashtun graduated from Ahmad Shah Baba High School in 1965. He began studying Engineering at
Kabul University
Kabul University (KU; prs, دانشگاه کابل, translit= Dāneshgāh-e-Kābul; ps, د کابل پوهنتون, translit=Da Kābul Pohantūn) is one of the major and oldest institutions of higher education in Afghanistan. It is in the 3rd ...
, and being ranked in top 10 of Afghanistan's Higher Secondary Board Exam, he soon received a USAID/Kabul University scholarship to attend
American University of Beirut
The American University of Beirut (AUB) ( ar, الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت) is a private, non-sectarian, and independent university chartered in New York with its campus in Beirut, Lebanon. AUB is governed by a private, aut ...
in
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
, where Pashtun earned a bachelor's degree in
Architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
, and two master's degrees, one in
Architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
(1973) and Urban Design and Planning (1977).
After his Masters, he worked in "Dar-ul-Handasa Design & Construction Company" in the Middle East. Under this company he worked on the master plans of
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
and Ras-al-Khaima cities. After his return to Afghanistan he worked as a lecturer in Engineering Faculty of Kabul University.
During Soviet invasion
After the
Soviet invasion, Yousef Pashtun escaped three times from Soviet troops and finally had to leave Afghanistan, and he took refuge to Pakistan. In Pakistan he started helping the
Mujahideen
''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
fighters against Soviet troops. He started to provide Foreign aid to the Mujahideen and also founded Al-Jehad Hospital for free treatment of Afghan Mujahideen. Having secret trips to Afghanistan to provide financial and medical aid for the Mujahideen, he worked a lot for the victory of Mujahideen over Soviet troops. During the war against Soviet invasion he formed strong ties with United Nations and then he founded several other NGOs like Mercy Corps International (MCI) for the agricultural development of Afghanistan, Demining Agency for Afghanistan (DAFA) and Rehabilitating Infrastructure for Rural Afghanistan (RIFRA) for the development of Afghanistan.
Taliban Era
After the Soviet withdrawal he was proposed so many posts in the Afghan Mujahideen's Government but he refused and continued with his task of reinstating the Former King of Afghanistan Mohammad Zahir Shah. He lived in exile in
Quetta
Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه) is the tenth List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in Geography of Pakistan, south-west of the country close to the ...
, in
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
where he worked to reinstate the previous king of Afghanistan,
Zahir Shah
Mohammed Zahir Shah (Pashto/Dari: , 15 October 1914 – 23 July 2007) was the last king of Afghanistan, reigning from 8 November 1933 until he was deposed on 17 July 1973. Serving for 40 years, Zahir was the longest-serving ruler of Afghanistan s ...
. During exile in Quetta, Yousef Pashtun along with some other Prominent Afghan Political figures like Abdul Ahad Karzai(father of Hamid Karzai), Hamid Karzai, Gul Agha Sherzai and other figures worked to reinstate the former Afghan king. He has also worked in the executive committee of Loya Jirga under the command of Mohammad Zahir Shah (The father of the Nation and former
King of Afghanistan
This article lists the heads of state of Afghanistan since the foundation of the first modern Afghan state, the Hotak Empire, in 1709.
History
The Hotak Empire was formed after a successful uprising led by Mirwais Hotak and other Afghan triba ...
).
After the Fall of Taliban
During U.S. Invasion over Taliban Government in 2001, Yousef Pashtun along with Gul Agha Sherzai and assistance from American special forces attacked the Southern Zone and captured Kandahar city within a week. When
Gul Agha Sherzai
Gul Agha Sherzai (), also known as Mohammad Shafiq, is a politician in Afghanistan. He is the former governor of Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan.
He previously served as Governor of Kandahar province, in the early 1990s and from 2001 ...
was announced as Governor of Kandahar in January 2002, Pashtun was appointed as the Executive coordinator of Kandahar province to reinstate the local Government.
Kandahar Governor
Karzai's government ruled that officials could not hold military and civil posts simultaneously, hence
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai (; Pashto/ fa, حامد کرزی, , ; born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan statesman who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014, including as the first elected president of the Islamic Repub ...
replaced
Gul Agha Sherzai
Gul Agha Sherzai (), also known as Mohammad Shafiq, is a politician in Afghanistan. He is the former governor of Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan.
He previously served as Governor of Kandahar province, in the early 1990s and from 2001 ...
as the Governor of
Kandahar
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a List of cities in Afghanistan, city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population ...
and appointed Yousef Pashtun on 15 August 2003. Sherzai transferred the power peacefully as Pashtun was much close to him and they were from the same
Barakzai
Bārakzai ( ps, بارکزی, ''Bārakzay;'' plur. ps, بارکزي, ''Bārakzī'') is the name of a Pashtun tribe from present-day, Kandahar, Afghanistan. '"Barakzai" is a common name among the Pashtuns and it means "son of Barak" in Pashto. A ...
tribe. Yousef Pashtun was seen as central government loyalist and more effective administrator, Afghan officials said. International Community was also interested to work with him for the rehabilitation of Kandahar as he was an experienced Urban plan with technical expertise. Yousef Pashtun tried to enhance the development projects in Kandahar which created more job opportunities for the locals, leading to the stabilization of the region. He was successful so far in his goals, to achieve development and peace in the province. As he was not known as a Tribal leader, but as an intellectual, hence he was able to unite the tribes efficiently. During his term, he reduced the poppy cultivation by 40% in the province. Yousef Pashtun created special unit for coordinating foreign aid to be channeled through one channel and spent on prioritized projects. He also worked on uniting the Governors of Southern Afghanistan (Kandahar, Helmand, Oruzgan, Zabul and Nimroz) to cooperate with each other. He worked on Kandahar city's new master plan, rehabilitation of city roads and upgrading the local Municipality System in the city.
Minister of Urban Development
In 2002, he was appointed
Minister of Urban Development and Housing under the Transitional Government, and a year later, was appointed Governor of Kandahar Province. In 2004 after the start of Republic Government of Afghanistan, he returned to Kabul resuming his role as Minister of Urban Development and Housing. In 2006 he got vote of confidence from the Parliament to resume his post as the Minister of Urban Development. As a Minister of Urban Development, he established an Independent Board for the Development of Kabul New City. The Board brings together key stakeholders, including relevant government agencies, as well as urban specialists and economists. The board prepared a master plan for the city in the context of Greater Kabul. The master plan and its implementation strategy for 2025 were endorsed by the Afghan Cabinet in early 2009. Soon, as a top priority, the initiative turned into one of the biggest commercially viable national development project of the country, expected to be led by the private sector. During his term, he was able to complete the Strategic expansion plans for all major cities of Afghanistan which counts up to 20 cities.
Minister Yousef Pashtun played the leading role in the rehabilitation of Current Parliament of Afghanistan. He is actively leading the Design and Construction of New Parliament of Afghanistan to be built by 2015.
Senior Adviser Minister to the President of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
on Construction, Mines, Water & Energy
In the second term of
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai (; Pashto/ fa, حامد کرزی, , ; born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan statesman who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014, including as the first elected president of the Islamic Repub ...
as the President of Afghanistan, he resigned from Urban Development ministry. Later, Karzai was appointed him as the Senior Adviser Minister to the President of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
on Construction, Mines, Water & Energy. After 2014 Presidential elections, newly elected President
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (born 19 May 1949) is an Afghan politician, academic, and economist who served as the president of Afghanistan from September 2014 until August 2021, when his government was overthrown by the Taliban.
Born in ...
reappointed him. Pashtun leads different National Technical Committees for Construction, Urban Development, Public Works, Mines, Transportation, Water & Energy. He currently chairs Independent Board of Kabul New City Development.
Minister Pashtun was also a prominent candidate for the post of Director General, UN-Habitat representing South Asian Countries in 2010.
Public Image
Pashtun is much known for his strict fight against land mafia when he was Minister of Urban Development as well as Senior Adviser to the President. He is currently Head of the Committee for counter
land grabbing
Land grabbing is the contentious issue of large-scale land acquisitions: the buying or leasing of large pieces of land by domestic and transnational companies, governments, and individuals.
While used broadly throughout history, land grabbing as ...
and land mafia. He got much public acclaim when he revealed the name of Marshal Qaseem Fahim, the then Vice President of Afghanistan as the leader of land mafia and involved in several huge land grabbing cases in Afghanistan on National Television. This interview portrayed his image as a Politician who is much blunt and not involved in political deals in Afghanistan. Some political analysts highlights his transfer from Minister to Senior Adviser to President as a move to keep him more involved in this fight against land mafia. Unlike Cabinet minister who is answerable to both houses of Parliament, Vice Presidents and other Government authorities, as Adviser of President he can perform his job without any interruption from Members of Parliaments or any other political group. He is also known as one of the most influential Adviser to President Karzai, especially on technical issues.
Personal life
Yousef Pashtun married Qamar Angaar, daughter of Late Faiz Mohammad Angaar. Faiz Mohammad Angaar was a renowned Afghan political activist, reformist and Editor-in-Chief of local weekly newspaper "Angaar" (Burning Embers). Minister Pashtun is father of two sons and three daughters. He was born in a large family of 18 siblings. He has fluency in Pashto, Dari, English, Urdu, Arabic and Armenian languages.
Publications & Studies
Paper Studies
Memberships
Awards
References
External links
- Yousef Pashtun's biography on Embassy of Afghanistan's website- Yousef Pashtun's Interview in 2002Yousef Pashtun's Interview in 2004*http://ourworldleaders.com/Afghanistan/Yousef/PASHTUN
*http://www.irinnews.org/InDepthMain.aspx?InDepthId=21&ReportId=63021
*https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1842773771
*http://articles.latimes.com/2003/aug/17/world/fg-afghan17
*http://www.maykuth.com/afghan/kabul920.html
*http://e-ariana.com/ariana/eariana.nsf/allDocs/8E358529D1B893488725733C0039D596?OpenDocument
*http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6981035.stm
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pashtun, Yousef
Pashtun people
1946 births
Living people
Politicians of Kandahar Province
Afghan expatriates in Pakistan
Housing ministers of Afghanistan
Urban planning ministers of Afghanistan
Governors of Kandahar Province
People from Quetta