My trip to see the significant sites related to the life of Khushal Khan Khattak, the national poet of the Afghans / Pashtuns / Pathans.

1. First journey. I drove from Islamabad to Attock, leaving the motorway and going on to the historic GT Road. First stop was at the site of the Attock Fort at the confluence of the Indus and Kabul Rivers.

2. At the foot of the fort was a building constructed by Khushal’s son, Bahram. It is known as Bahram ki Baradari. Bahram was a rebellious son of Khusal’s who on many occasions tried to overthrow his father and eventually schemed with the Mughal governor forcing Khusal into exile in Afridi lands.

3. Next stop was the other side of the Indus, at Khairabad, where I wanted to see the confluence of the two famous rivers, the blue Indus and the muddy Kabul. Alas the Indus is not as mighty as in the past due to the construction of the Tarbela Dam upstream.
Below is a view of the Attock fort from Khairabad.

4. The next stop was the grave of the great Poet, a short drive from Khairabad. For generations, the Khattak chiefs were tasked with collecting the toll for crossing the Indus at Khairabad. The first one appointed was Khushal’s great grandfather Akora Khattak, by the emperor Akbar.

5. The Mazar or grave of the Khushal Baba is on good condition and has been renovated. Khushal made three specific requests to those loyal to him: to be buried where the dust of Mughal cavalry would not fall upon his grave, to have his burial site carefully concealed to prevent any potential desecration by the Mughals, and for his loyal children to cut the body of Bahram in half if they were ever able to capture it. One half was to be burnt at the head of Khushal’s grave and the other at his feet as a symbol of revenge.

One the grave of the poet was the following couplet:

Da Afghan Pa nung mi utarlah turah,

Nang Yali da zamane Khushal Khattak yum.

I have taken up arms for the protection of Afghans’,

I am the valiant of the age, Khushal Khattak.

6. As I conversed with the groundskeeper, he revealed a grave that belonged to the daughter of Khushal Khan himself, Halima the Hafiza, a great Poetess in her own right. He advised that even local political leader Ajmal Khattak would offer Fateha at this grave after paying his respects at Khushal Khan’s.

7. From Khushal Baba’s grave I drove in to Akora Khattak, the town named after his Great Grandfather. Khushal Khan was the son of Shahbaz Khan Khattak, the latter was the son of Yahya Khan Khattak who was Akora Khattak’s son. I found the grave of Akora Khattak

And the grave of Shahbaz Khattak near the Mazar of Akhund Din Baba. I was unable to find Yahya Khan’s grave.

8. Now for the last leg of my journey, I drove from Akora Khattak to the Mazar of the revered saint Kaka Sahib. He was not only a contemporary of Khushal Khan Baba, but his son was married to one of Khushal’s daughters.

9. The Mazar itself was well maintained and there was a steady flow of pilgrims coming in to the Mazar

10. I still Managed to make it home to Peshawar before sunset.