Rajwali Shah had become a literatus at an early age

PESHAWAR: Noted Pashto writer, poet, critic and intellectual Prof Dr Rajwali Shah Khattak had attained the status of literatus at a very young age.
Rajwali Shah wrote his first ghazal when he was a ninth grade student. He used to spend time with Baba-e-Pashto Ghazal, Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari, revolutionary poet and writer Ghani Khan and poet, writer and educationist Qalandar Momand and carried forward their legacy.
The writer contributed a lot to the Pashto language and literature. He was the author of about a dozen books and contributed articles to various newspapers and magazines. He often attended mushairas even in small towns to encourage local poets and interact with them.
Rajwali Shah was returning from scenic Swat valley when he suffered a heart attack at the Malakand Top. He was shifted to a hospital in Dargai but could not survive. He is survived by five sons — Yahya Wali, Major Rishteen Wali, Deenar Wali, Bakhtnak Wali and Damsaz Wali.
Born at Dag Ismailkhel to Qadem Shah in 1952, Rajwali Shah Khattak got early education from his village school and did matriculation in 1968. He got admission first in Islamia College Peshawar and later Government College Peshawar. He did masters in Pashto literature from the University of Peshawar in 1977 with distinction and PhD in 1985.
Rajwali Shah got married in 1973 when he was a 3rd year student. He served as lecturer at Edwardes College Peshawar for some time before joining the Pashto Department of the University of Peshawar.
A recipient of the civil award, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Dr Rajwali Shah served the Pashto Academy of the University of Peshawar as director from 1995-2004. Mushtaq Paracha adds from Nowshera: The internationally acclaimed poet, writer and academician Prof Dr Raj Wali Shah Khattak who passed away on Monday was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard at Dag Ismailkhel village on Tuesday.
He died of cardiac arrest when he was returning home from Swat where he had gone along with his family for the Eidul Fitr holidays.A large number of educationists, poets, writers, politicians, civil and military officials and locals attended his funeral at Dag Ismailkhel.
Raj Wali Shah Khattak was born on January 24, 1952 in Dag Ismailkhel. He got his early education in his village and passed the secondary school examination in 1968.
He later studied at the Islamia College Peshawar and Government College Peshawar, completed his bachelor of arts in 1975 and got masters degree with a gold medal in Pashto Literature from University of Peshawar in 1977. He did his PhD in 1985.
He was appointed lecturer at the Edwardes College in 1976 and taught there till 1978. Later he was got a job in the University of Peshawar where he supervised students of PhD and MPhil.
He remained Director of the Pashto Academy and Chairman Department of Pashto at the University of Peshawar from 1995 till 2004.He had also served as Dean of Islamic Studies and Oriental Studies at the University of Peshawar till his retirement in 2012.
He interacted with noted literati Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari, Abdul Ghani Khan, Qalandar Momand and other luminaries of Pashto literature.The government conferred the civil award, Tamgha-i-Imtiaz on him in recognition of his contribution to Pashto literature. He also received several other awards, including International Literary Convention Gold Medal, Pakhtun Rorwali Award and South Asia Youth Talent Award.
He authored several books, including Heritage of Peshawar, Pakhtu Adabi Tehreekona, Zeest, Rozgar, Faqir Jamil Baig, Nunaqib Faqir, Pakhtu Zhabay Lughat and Rohi Matalona. He also wrote research articles and published columns in English, Urdu and Pashto newspapers.He had been the member of the board of governors of the Pakistan Academy of Letters and Area Study Centre, University of Peshawar.