Afghan Biographies

Jan Aqa Alkozai


Name Jan Aqa Alkozai
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1958
Function/Grade Prominent Journalist
History and Biodata

2. Previous Function:
Employee of Azadi Radio

3. Biodata:

Jan Aqa Alekozai was born in 1958 to a devoted and religious family in the Rodat district of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar Province. Like many Afghans, he went into exile in the early 1980s after the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Alekozai's life reflected the recent tumultuous history of his country. While studying at the the engineering faculty of Kabul University in the 1970s, he joined the Afghan National Radio and later TV. Soon he became one of the leading newscasters on Afghanistan's only broadcaster. At the time, it was one one of the most cherished journalism jobs in Afghanistan. In addition to his journalistic acumen, listeners loved his deep voice which made him instantly recognizable.

After living briefly in Pakistan and India, Alekozai finally settled in Canada, where he became a leading light of Toronto's Afghan community. He took great pride in helping fellow Afghans settle into their new lives in Canada and did all in his power to preserve Afghan identity and project a positive image of his community.

Jan Aqa Alekozai, was buried in his ancestral graveyard in eastern Afghanistan on September 18, 2015. He  died of cancer in a Vienna hospital on September 15, 2015
Alekozai is survived by his schoolteacher wife, Zarqa Alekozai, and their five sons. One son is a boxer in Canada.

 

Last Modified 2023-02-27
Established 2023-02-27