Zulfiqar Ahmad
ISLAMABAD, July 8: Amirullah Khan Yaftalai, a stalwart from remote Laspur Valley of Chitral, died at the age of 81 after a prolonged illness.
His passing marks the end of an era – one that bridged the princely age, tribal tradition and the inexorable march of modernity in this rugged frontier region.
Born in Harchin village of Laspur during the heyday of the princely State of Chitral, Yaftalai grew up in a world where power flowed through bloodlines and custom was law.
His family’s close ties to the Mehtar of Chitral, the area’s ruling aristocracy, earned him a rare opportunity: admission to the prestigious Army Burn Hall School and College in Abbottabad.
For a boy from the isolated Chitral Valley where even wearing collared shirts was once forbidden and from the rundown village of Harchin in Laspur, getting admission to the prestigious Burn Hall was nothing short of extraordinary, even if it came through his family’s connection to the Mehtar of the time.
Though he left formal schooling after the eighth grade, that brief education ignited in him a lifelong devotion to public service and learning.
The Yaftalai family’s roots in Laspur run deep. His grandfather Vilayat Khan held the honorary title of Laspro Leften – Lieutenant of Laspur – granted under the Mehtar’s rule to trusted militia commanders and tribal figures. His father Subedar (retd) Gul Wali Khan was honoured as Baba-e-Laspur, a distinction reserved for pillars of the community.
Yet Yaftalai never relied solely on inherited prestige. Known for his humility and generosity, he earned far more respect for his own efforts than any family name could confer. Unlike many local politicians who trade on ancestral legacies, he forged his place through dedication and hard work.
His life was many things: hunter, farmer, polo player, amateur historian and elected official. But it was as a guardian of culture and tradition that he left his most enduring mark.
Yaftalai’s political journey began in the 1970s with the now-defunct Tehreek-e-Istiqlal under Air Marshal Asghar Khan. In his final year, he pledged allegiance to the Pakistan People’s Party, standing firm amid shifting political tides.
His political career remained intensely local, primarily aligned with the Pakistan Muslim League. Serving three terms on the District Council, he blended tribal wisdom with practical development initiatives.
While local council elections rarely made headlines, his upset victory over Shahzada Colonel Khushwaqt ul Mulk, a scion of the Chitral’s royal family and former governor of Mastuj, cemented his reputation as a formidable political force.
His legacy was closely intertwined with that of his father. In the 1990s, the father-son duo, together with other influential local leaders, established the Yuft Union – a coalition of clans formed to counter the rise of ethnic political factions such as the Ayubian, Zondarei, Dasmanei and Sadat unions.
Although the Union’s influence diminished over time, it significantly broadened political participation and helped ease ethnic tensions, ultimately weakening the hold of clan-based politics in the district.
Yaftalai was never motivated by titles or headlines. After retiring from polo, he devoted himself to preserving the fast-fading heritage of his homeland.
He established a private museum in Harchin that became a treasure trove of antique swords, everyday artefact and forgotten stories. Though official recognition remains pending, locals say a posthumous civil award is long overdue.
He was a one-man welcome centre for travellers along the Chitral-Gilgit road, his door always open, his table always set. Ministers, mountaineers, journalists, and shepherds alike passed through his home, greeted with the same old-school hospitality and hard-won wisdom.
Yaftalai is survived by a large family and a community still buzzing with gratitude for his many gifts. In life, a regional giant; in death, a symbol of memory, identity, and the quiet strength of service far from the national limelight.
Now the valleys echo with mourning. The Yaftalai era has ended but the man, the myth, and the mountain of his legacy will never fade. May his soul rest in peace!