Zahir Pajaziti

Zahir Pajaziti ( born 1 November 1962 in Turuqicë / Turičica at Podujevë / Podujevo, Kosovo, † 31 January 1997 in Pestova at Vushtrri / Vučitrn ) was co-founder of the KLA. He was the first commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, who died in the fight against Serb units.

Biography

Zahir Pajaziti attended from 1968 to 1976 the primary school in Turuqicë / Turičica, then a secondary school in Vushtrri / Vučitrn. This was followed in 1981 and 1982, a short study of the English language at the University of Priština / Prishtina. 1981 Pajaziti was the organizer of political demonstrations in Podujevo. Mid-1990s, he was an activist of the Parliamentary Party of Kosovo ( partia parlamentar e Kosovës ) in Orlane / Orllan. At the same time, he was a founding member of the KLA, founder of its headquarters and one of its leaders from 1996 to 1997. On January 31, 1997 Pajaziti was killed in battle against units of the Serbian Interior Ministry.

The Serbian side accused him of having committed as leader of the KLA and his group in Kosovo attacks on Serbian police units.

Honors

On 28 November 2000 the KLA commander Agim Çeku unveiled in the center of Prishtina / Pristina a statue in honor Pajazitis. In the Kosovo war a brigade of the KLA Pajazitis wore name, now streets and squares of Albanian-dominated municipalities in Kosovo named after him.