Biography
Josif Pashko was born into a peasant family in the village of Vodica, Kolonja. In 1938 he graduated from the Normal School at Elbasan and served as an elementary school teacher in that town from 1939 to 1942. Together with his father Pashko Vodica he joined the communist-led resistance to Italian occupation in 1942, becoming a political commissar of various brigades. After the war he was involved in the armed forces, security and judicial organs. From 1950 onwards he was a deputy in the People's Assembly. From 1954 until his death he was a government minister in charge of construction. During the war he joined the Party of Labour of Albania, Communist Party of Albania (Party of Labour of Albania after 1948) and became a member of its Central Committee in 1952. His son Gramoz Pashko was an economist who co-founded the Democratic Party of Albania in 1990.References
* Skendi, Stavro (ed). ''Albania''. New York: Frederick A. Praeger. 1956. p. 338. 1918 births 1963 deaths People from Kolonjë Labour Party of Albania politicians Government ministers of Albania Construction ministers of Albania 20th-century Albanian politicians Albanian communists Albanian schoolteachers {{Albania-politician-stub