Yousef Pashtun

Mohammad Yousef Pashtun (یوسف پښتون) is an Afghan technocrat and politician.

He was born to one of the elite families of Kandahar on November 15, 1946.

His grandfather, General Mohammad Nabi Khan was the Army Chief of Southern Zone of Afghanistan during the Third Afghan - Anglo War under the command of King Amanullah Khan.

His father, Brigadier Mohammad Ghani Khan, served as Corps Commander of Eastern and afterwards Northern Zone of Afghanistan.

His maternal grandfather Haji Gul Muhammad Khan was an active politician and key figure in Southern Afghanistan's political leadership.

Pashtun graduated from Ahmad Shah Baba High School in 1965.

He began studying Engineering at Kabul University, and being ranked in top 10 of Afghanistan's Higher Secondary Board Exam, he soon received a USAID/Kabul University scholarship to attend American University of Beirut in Lebanon, where Pashtun earned a bachelor's degree in Architecture, and two master's degrees, one in Architecture (1973) and Urban Design and Planning (1977).

After his Masters, he worked in "Dar-ul-Handasa Design & Construction Company" in the Middle East.

Under this company he worked on the master plans of Dubai and Ras-al-Khaima cities.

After his return to Afghanistan he worked as a lecturer in Engineering Faculty of Kabul University.

After the Soviet invasion, Yousef Pashtun escaped three times from Soviet troops and finally had to leave Afghanistan, and he took refuge to Pakistan.

In Pakistan he started helping the Afghans fighting against Soviet troops by providing humanitarian aid.

He started to provide humanitarian aid to the Mujahideen and also founded a Hospital for free treatment of Afghans affected by the war.

He worked a lot to support the Afghans in their resistance against Soviet occupation.

During the war against Soviet invasion he formed strong ties with United Nations and then he founded several other NGOs like Mercy Corps International (MCI) for the agricultural development of Afghanistan, Demining Agency for Afghanistan (DAFA) and Rehabilitating Infrastructure for Rural Afghanistan (RIFRA) for the development of Afghanistan.

After the Soviet withdrawal he was proposed so many posts in the Afghan Mujahideen's Government but he refused and continued with his task of reinstating the Former King of Afghanistan Mohammad Zahir Shah.

He lived in exile in Quetta, in Pakistan where he worked to reinstate the previous king of Afghanistan, Zahir Shah.

During exile in Quetta, Yousef Pashtun along with some other Prominent Afghan Political figures like Abdul Ahad Karzai(father of Hamid Karzai), Hamid Karzai, Gul Agha Sherzai and other figures worked to reinstate the former Afghan king.

He has also worked in the executive committee of Loya Jirga under the command of Mohammad Zahir Shah (The father of the Nation and former King of Afghanistan).

During U.S. Invasion over Taliban Government in 2001, Yousef Pashtun provided assistance to the American special forces, as a liaison between the U.S. forces and the armed groups led by Gul Agha Sherzai, as he was trusted by both sides.

They attacked the Southern Zone and captured Kandahar city within a week.

He served as Minister of Urban Development and Housing for two terms (2002-2003, 2005-2010) and as Governor of Kandahar province in 2003, replacing Gul Agha Sherzai under President Hamid Karzai's administration.

When Gul Agha Sherzai was announced as Governor of Kandahar in January 2002, Pashtun was appointed as the Executive coordinator of Kandahar province to reinstate the local Government, and for better coordination of the foreign aid.

In 2002, he was appointed Minister of Urban Development and Housing under the Transitional Government, and a year later, was appointed Governor of Kandahar Province.

Karzai's government ruled that officials could not hold military and civil posts simultaneously, hence Hamid Karzai replaced Gul Agha Sherzai as the Governor of Kandahar and appointed Yousef Pashtun on 15 August 2003.

Sherzai transferred the power peacefully as Pashtun was much close to him and they were from the same Barakzai tribe.

Yousef Pashtun was seen as central government loyalist and more effective administrator, Afghan officials said.

International Community was also interested to work with him for the rehabilitation of Kandahar as he was an experienced Urban plan with technical expertise.

Yousef Pashtun tried to enhance the development projects in Kandahar which created more job opportunities for the locals, leading to the stabilization of the region.

He was successful so far in his goals, to achieve development and peace in the province.

As he was not known as a Tribal leader, but as an intellectual, hence he was able to unite the tribes efficiently.

During his term, he reduced the poppy cultivation by 40% in the province.

Yousef Pashtun created special unit for coordinating foreign aid to be channeled through one channel and spent on prioritized projects.

He also worked on uniting the Governors of Southern Afghanistan (Kandahar, Helmand, Oruzgan, Zabul and Nimroz) to cooperate with each other.

He worked on Kandahar city's new master plan, rehabilitation of city roads and upgrading the local Municipality System in the city.

In 2004 after the start of Republic Government of Afghanistan, he returned to Kabul resuming his role as Minister of Urban Development and Housing.

In 2010, he was appointed as Senior Adviser to President Karzai on Construction, Mines, Water & Energy.

In 2014, minister Pashtun continued to serve as Senior Adviser to President Ashraf Ghani.

Yِousef Pashtun is also chairing the Kabul New City Development Authority Board.

Yousef Pashtun, an ethnic Pashtun of the Barakzai tribe, was born in the city of Kandahar.