Pashto poet, journalist Jalbal Khattak passes away

MARDAN: Noted Pashto poet, writer and journalist Jalbal Khattak passed away on Thursday after protracted illness.

The funeral prayer for the deceased was held at his native Sawaldher village in Katlang tehsil. The funeral prayer was attended by a large number of people including poets, journalists, social activists, political figures and elders of the area. The deceased was later laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard at Sawaldher.

The Qul for the deceased would be held at Sawaldher tomorrow. In 2017, Jalbal Khattak went for the coverage of Pakistan Super League in the UAE where he fell ill due to a tumour in his head. He also underwent surgery and continued to fight the disease for more than three years. However, he finally lost the battle for life.

On May 26 last, Jalbal Khattak had shared a post on his Facebook page and appealed to friends and well-wishers to pray for him as he was not feeling well. Jalbal Khattak was a known Pashto poet.

He was better known for the symbolism in his poetry and his name also attracted attention. He was also associated with journalism. His friends said that the deceased was a contented man with few possessions.