Nurulhuda Yaftali

In 1947, as the subcontinent was being remade, a new life opened its eyes in the household of Lieutenant Walayat Khan. He was my grandfather's firstborn. They say spring descended upon the courtyard that day, and a wave of joy swept through the entire family. My great-grandfather, with pride and love, named him after his own grandfather: Yaftali Amir Ullah Khan.

This was not merely a name. It was a crown of generations — of dignity, honour, and tradition — placed upon his forehead with the hope that in the times to come, it would not simply be remembered but repeated with pride, generation to generation, heart to heart.

The Student Revolutionary

His childhood was spent among the murmuring streams, green slopes, and sheltering love of Laspur Valley. He received his early education there, but the flight of his dreams soared far higher than the mountains. The quest for knowledge carried him to Karachi, where he enrolled at Islamia College.

This was not merely a journey of education — it was the beginning of awareness, struggle, and rebellion. He was elected President of the Islamia College Student Union: a fearless orator whose words carried fire and whose tone carried authority. Even as a student, he had learned to win hearts.

The boy who sat beside him in class was Altaf Hussain, who would later found the MQM. The two shared friendship, ideological kinship, and disagreement in equal measure. Fewer lessons from textbooks, rather more lessons in politics.

Return to Laspur

One day, a letter arrived from his father, inviting him to contest the municipal elections. He decided to return immediately, as though this was the very dream he had been waiting for. Mounting a horse, he set foot once more on the soil of Laspur. This was not merely the return of a son — it was the arrival of a man determined to change the destiny of his land.

Political Career

He was a personality recognizable even in a crowd — simultaneously a writer, politician, sportsman, and social worker. During General Zia-ul-Haq's era, he was elected member of the District Council on the strength of public trust. He defeated the then Governor of Mastuj, the late Shahzada Khushwaqat-ul-Mulk, in municipal elections — establishing a historic precedent that is still regarded as a symbol of political acumen and the power of the people.

A defining moment came when Governor General Fazl-e-Haq visited Shandur. Yaftali, then a young, short-statured but high-spirited member of the District Council, stood before a man who was not only a hardened general drunk on power but also a close friend of General Zia. Yaftali did not let the meeting dissolve into formality. The words that left his lips were a lamentation of his people's suffering. He was not begging — he was reminding them of their rights. With extraordinary confidence and courage, he laid the public grievances before the Governor as though addressing not a governor, but a conscience — and he succeeded in having his demands met.

He personally introduced Tehrik-e-Istiqbal (founded by Air Marshal Asghar Khan in 1970) to Chitral. Later, under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's PPP, he was given a ticket to contest the provincial assembly, but the elections were suspended. For demanding democratic restoration, he was placed under house arrest, imprisoned for a month in Lahore Central Jail and again in Peshawar Central Jail. He was elected to the District Council three consecutive times.

Captain of Shandur

He was instrumental in making the Shandur Polo Festival a success. Working alongside the late Latif Hussain, then Chairman of Gilgit-Baltistan, he organized the historic 1982 Shandur event under Chitral's hosting.

For the first time in Shandur's history, he was honoured to lead the Pakistan International Airlines polo team. Though his team lost against the formidable Gilgit-Baltistan side, the experience forged him into something greater: he ensured that Laspur and Ghizer's polo teams became regular participants in future Shandur events. A player who turned defeat into a foundation for opening doors for others.

Yaftali served as captain and chief patron of the Laspur polo team for sixteen years. Under his leadership, the team achieved fourteen consecutive years of remarkable success, earning him the distinction of being the most successful captain in Shandur history. Even after retiring from play, he became the soul of Shandur's green fields as Chief Polo Coach, training the youth for years.

The Guardian of Heritage

He was generous, hospitable — a man who considered serving others an act of worship, often giving away his own portion to feed his guests. Chitrali culture breathed within his very being. He was an ambassador of the cultural heritage of Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, a messenger of peace, love, and tradition. The magnificent edifice of the Laspur Museum is the living manifestation of his thirty years of dedication, devotion, and cultural love — a dream he saw and gave his life to make real.

Until the Last Breath

He fought his entire life — against circumstances, against time, against the system, against injustice. And when the final days came, even then he did not surrender. He fought a brain tumour, that silent assassin. Breathing had become difficult, his hands could no longer move, yet the light in his eyes was still alive. He never once removed his trademark Chitrali cap adorned with the golden pheasant crest and markhor emblem — his identity until his last breath.

He lay on a hospital bed in Private Room No. 10, yet his first words to every visitor were the same: “Bring something for the guests — arrange food for them.” This was an irrepressible heart, a heart that cared for others until the very end, forgetting itself.

When fate's decree arrived, Yaftali fell silent — but he left behind in our hearts an entire history of memories, service, and courage. He accumulated no wealth, harboured no greed for worldly comfort. What he built was a place in people's hearts. As long as he lived, he lived with self-respect, with his head held high, with honour.