Known educationist Ajmal Khan laid to rest

PESHAWAR: Prominent educationist of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a former vice-chancellor of two leading universities, Ajmal Khan, who had breathed his last after a brief illness the previous day was laid to rest at his native Utmanzai village in Charsadda on Tuesday.

His funeral prayer was offered at the Cricket Ground of the University of Peshawar opposite Khyber Medical College at 2pm. The body was shifted to Utmanzai where the funeral prayer was offered again at 4pm

A large number of people from various walks of life attended the last funeral rites.Blessed with the best qualities of management and administration, the soft-spoken Ajmal Khan is survived by four daughters and a widow.

After serving for 43 long years in various capacities in different universities of the province, Ajmal Khan retired in July 2016 on completion of his two tenures of eight years as vice-chancellor of Islamia College University (ICU).

He was the pioneer vice-chancellor of Islamia College University when it was upgraded in 2008 and he served in the capacity for eight years till his retirement.

However, four years of his two tenures as vice-chancellor he had remained in captivity. Kidnapped by militants in September 2010 from outside his residence in the Professors Colony, his release was secured in August 2014. Ajmal Khan had great love for the University of Peshawar and the Islamia College.

In an interview with this reporter after his retirement, he had informed that he had 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 as vice-chancellor in 2005. He returned to Islamia College when it was upgraded to a university in 2008 and was appointed as its first vice-chancellor.

He was the grandson of the first chief minister of ex-NWFP Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan alias Dr Khan Saib, who was the brother of Pakhtun leader Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan popularly known as Bacha Khan.

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

Ajmal Khan joined the Edwardes College as a warden in 1973, but soon he was elevated to the lecturer post. In 1976, he got the position of education officer in the Federal Ministry of Education, but left after only three months to rejoin Edwardes College.

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

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

His next appointment was as principal of Islamia College, then vice-chancellor Gomal University and finally vice-chancellor of Islamia College Peshawar.