30 Facts About Yousef Pashtun

Mohammad Yousef Pashtun is an Afghan technocrat and politician.

Yousef Pashtun served as Minister of Urban Development and Housing for two terms and as Governor of Kandahar province in 2003, replacing Gul Agha Sherzai under President Hamid Karzai's administration.

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

Yousef Pashtun is chairing the Kabul New City Development Authority Board.

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

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

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

Yousef Pashtun graduated from Ahmad Shah Baba High School in 1965.

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

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

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

Yousef Pashtun has worked in the executive committee of Loya Jirga under the command of Mohammad Zahir Shah.

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

Sherzai transferred the power peacefully as Yousef 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.

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.

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

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

Yousef Pashtun worked on uniting the Governors of Southern Afghanistan to cooperate with each other.

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

Minister Yousef Pashtun played the leading role in the rehabilitation of Current Parliament of Afghanistan.

Yousef Pashtun is actively leading the Design and Construction of New Parliament of Afghanistan to be built by 2015.

Minister Yousef Pashtun was a prominent candidate for the post of Director General, UN-Habitat representing South Asian Countries in 2010.

Yousef Pashtun is much known for his strict fight against land mafia when he was Minister of Urban Development as well as Senior Adviser to the President.

Yousef Pashtun is currently Head of the committee for counter land grabbing and land mafia.

Yousef Pashtun got much public acclaim when he revealed the name of Marshal Qaseem Fahim, the then Vice President of Afghanistan as the leader of land mafia and involved in several huge land grabbing cases in Afghanistan on National Television.

Yousef Pashtun is known as one of the most influential Adviser to President Karzai, especially on technical issues.

Minister Yousef Pashtun is father of two sons and three daughters.

Yousef Pashtun was born in a large family of 18 siblings.

Yousef Pashtun has fluency in Pashto, Dari, English, Urdu, Arabic and Armenian languages.