Rahimullah Yusufzai was a well-known journalist, who passed away in Peshawar in September 2021 after battling cancer for over a year.
He entered journalism in Karachi and moved to Islamabad after a short period. He had interest in regional affairs and political developments of the country, which was his preoccupation for the rest of his journalistic career.
After moving to Peshawar in the mid-1980s as bureau chief of a leading English daily, Rahimullah Yusufzai quickly established his credentials as a hardworking journalist
who strictly abided by the principles of objective journalism.
This was an important and transformative phase on the political scene in Pakistan and in the region. The influx of millions of Afghan refugees into Pakistan had influenced the domestic and foreign policy dynamics of the country.
As the refugees were sheltered mostly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Rahimullah Yusufzai visited their camps and tent villages, talked to the refugees, and locals
and profiled the stories of the miseries of poor refugees.
The arrival of a large number of refugees had impacted the Pakhtun society and economy in many ways. Rahimullah Yusufzai meticulously researched and wrote on the social and anthropological dimensions of the problems of the refugees and its consequences on the host society. His reporting on the Afghan refugees reflected the humanity of the man.
Writing with a firm grip, Rahimullah Yusufzai’s reporting on the Afghan conflict at large had a wide readership at home and abroad. His coverage of the long-drawn conflict was comprehensive and much sought-after due to his acute observations and analysis.
Throughout the past four decades, he furnished well-documented analytical reports to his readers. On electronic media, he held his audience captive with unbiased commentaries.
Mild in demeanor, soft-spoken and courteous, Rahimullah Yusufzai got fame and international recognition for his professional excellence, but as a man of principles did not use his name and influence for personal gains. His impeccable professionalism and objective reporting earned him respect. The western press and electronic media were particularly on the lookout for his opinions.
Rahimullah Yusufzai gave more time to cover the Afghanistan conflict, wrote extensively in local and foreign newspapers, appeared on TV channels and went on-air through radio stations.
One colleague aptly called him the Robert Fisk of Afghanistan.
His interest in national issues and political developments in his home province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa took the rest of his time.
He focused closely on how the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa fared in the national scheme of things.
During the 1980s when the construction of Kalabagh dam was debated, Rahimullah Yusufzai meticulously reported on meetings and speeches of politicians, recorded views of experts on hydropower and covered official briefings by the authorities. He paid careful attention to national policies that would impact provincial rights. He went to great lengths to report on constitutional amendments and matters discussed in Islamabad related to the allocation of resources for education and health and the needs for development funds in the merged tribal districts.
Incidentally one of his last reports was also on the subject of a change in federal government’s power generation policy that would deprive Khybe Pakhtunkhwa of possible source of revenue.
With a small team of reporters, Rahimullah Yusufzai provided comprehensive coverage not only on political matters, but also on cultural and social issues.
His failing health did not deter him as he steadfastly performed his professional duties and social obligations with the same dedication that was his hallmark. He continued to work tirelessly by writing for newspapers, appearing on television, filing news stories and writing columns.
His well-written obituaries of prominent personalities became a must read. In these write-ups, he would provide interesting details about the departing persons.
A former senior bureaucrat had requested him to write his obituary when he died.
As luck would have it, Rahimullah Yusufzai wrote the obituary of the bureaucrat from Kohat when he passed away.
