Educationist, writer Unwanuddin Kakakhel passes away

MARDAN: Known writer, poet and educationist Professor Unwanuddin Kakakhel died here Saturday during a seminar on education in which he was the chief guest. He was 69.
He suffered heart attack at 2.30 pm when former MNA and District Council Mardan chairman Himayatullah Mayar was making his speech at the Press Club Mardan. Unwanuddin Kakakhel was supposed to be the concluding speaker, but death prevented him from delivering his speech.
He was rushed to the hospital where the doctors pronounced him dead. The doctors said he died due to cardiac arrest. The seminar on Peace and Education was organized by an organization, Mardanwal Khalaq. Tufail Qalandar is the moving spirit of this organization.
The seminar had a number of speakers, including former provincial minister Abdul Subhan Khan, Qaumi Watan Party’s Tania Gul, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Naeema Naz, peace activist Aimal Khattak, Nawaz Mandoori who is director of the Mardan campus of the International Islamic University Islamabad Schools, and Raham Zaid, assistant professor and head of the Sociology department of the Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan. The seminar had to be cut short due to the death of the chief guest.
Unwanuddin Kakakhel’s Nimaz-i-Janaza was offered late Saturday evening at his village, Bakhshali, in Mardan district. It was largely attended by people from different walks of life. He was buried in his village.
The deceased was the father of journalist Fakhar Kakakhel, Dr Sohail Hayat, Engineer Aimal Hayat and Arshad Hayat.
Prof Unwanuddin Kakakhel served as the principal of Government Postgraduate College, Bajaur and secretary of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Swat. He was the follower of freedom fighter Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Bacha Khan).