Born in Akora Khattak on 15 September 1925, Ajmal Khattak as a child was greatly influenced by Bacha Khan. By the time he turned 17, he was already an active member of the Quit India Movement. He was a student then at the Government High School, Peshawar, but he left to contribute more to the movement. It was the beginning of a political career that stretched over five decades during which his literary pursuits and education took several painful turns. However, he did return to his studies completing a masters in Persian from Peshawar University. At Islamia College, Peshawar, he was among the pioneers who put Pushto literature on the 'modern' track. Linking it to European literature, particularly English, he was able to give it new direction and was acclaimed as a progressive poet.

He has had a long career in both the Indian Independence Movement movement against the British in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (then NWFP) of what was then British India as well as part of the National Awami Party (NAP) in its various incarnations in Pakistan. His early political career began during the Quit India movement after he came under the influence of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement. He was forced to leave the school due to his involvement in the Quit India Movement. As a writer he served as editor of various Newspapers and periodicals, including Anjam, Shahbaz, Adal and Rahber was well as script writer for Radio Pakistan.

He was defeated in the 1970 election in his home constituency. After the resignation of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa cabinet in protest at President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's dismissal of the Balochistan government led by Sardar Ataullah Mengal, Ajmal Khattak became the Secretary General of the National Awami Party.

He was the organiser and stage secretary at the United Democratic Front rally held at Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi on 23 March 1973, when shots were fired at the UDF leaders, including Khan Abdul Wali Khan. In the general melee that followed, a number of UDF and NAP workers were killed by the authorities in their attempt at ending the rally.

Khattak died at a local hospital in Peshawar on Sunday, 7 February 2010. He was 85. He had left politics years earlier and had been residing at his native village, Akora Khattak.[9] He was laid to rest a day after his death. On 12 May 2012, Khattak's shrine was blown up by unknown militants in Akora Khattak village.


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