Pukhtuns are in search of peace and self respect on their own soil, which have been taken away from them by the friends and foes.Pukhtuns want to live and die in peace and honour.

Author - Asif Ali Khan

2

Asif Ali Khan is a professional engineer and member of Pakistan Engineering Council. Since College days he is associated with progressive and nationalist politics. He was born in village Badrashi of Pukhtunkhwa. He strongly believe that religion has its roots in the soul and culture has its roots in the soil. He says that the worst act he hates in a human being is hypocrisy and the most respectable act of a person is giving priority to self and national respect. He love to live and die as a nangial(Brave Man) of Khushal Khattak’s dream. Khushal Khan Baba says that a brave Pukhtun is one who is loved by his neighbours,who is helpful and fulfils his every promise,who never bluffs and never lies,who aims for the skies,who is the centre of charm and who sends fragnance over hills and valleys.

He viewed that in the name of national solidarity,democracy and religion serious crimes and sins are committed by the Pakistani rulers.Pakistan was disintegrated in 1971 for the simple reason and that was for the first time Pakistan would be ruled under East Pakistan’s leadership according to the results of Dec.1970 general elections.Pakistani rulers did n’t learn any lesson from the history,only religion is not enough to remain a state intact.The concept of Pakistan as a fortress of Islam is also the creation of corrupt and incompetent Pakistani rulers and religious leaders.The poor Pakistanis need a welfare state where they can live with peace and not a fortress.

We always blame foreign hidden hands for our ills.Pakistani rulers are experts to make a mess of things all by their selves.Even in the present critical and very serious situation Pakistani rulers are not honest with their neighbouring countries and international community.Their is no transparency in the deals with the international community with reference of war on terror.The donors countries never advised our rulers to encourage and protect corruption and to violate the principals of good governess.transparency and rule of law.

Pukhtuns are the most affected people because of the on going war on terror.The selfish rulers and religious/political leaders exploited Pukhtuns illiteracy,poverty,un-employment,religious tendency and love for their culture and mother land. Of all the feelings that people have, the most

3

beautiful is surely love and of all the things that one is capable of loving in the world the most intensive love has to be for one's own mother language and motherland.

MAN IS MAN IF BRAVE, INTREPID AND UNYIELDING

HIS NEIGHBORS LOVE HIM, HE IS HELPFUL HE IS PLEASING

HE IS SIMPLE, HE IS STRAIGHT AND FULLFILS HIS EVERY PROMISE

HE NEVER BLUFFS AND NEVER LIES, NO FAVOURS EVER NEEDING

TALKS LITTLE, QUICK IN ACTION, RISING IN SIMPLE WAYS OF LIFE

FRAGRANT BUT QUIET AS A BUNCH OF FLOWERS, IN ACTION LEADING

WITH TALK OF THE LOW OR THE HIGH UNIMPRESSED BUT AIMING

HIGH

STAYING HUMBLE HE AIMS FOR THE SKIES, HIS CONCIENCE

EVER HEEDING

FRESH AS BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS SENDING FRAGRANCE OVER HILL AND

VALE

A CENTRE OF CHARM FOR BIRDS WITH MUSIC AND COLOUR FOR GOOD

FEEDING

KHUSHAL KHAN KHATTAK

4

Zoor hassy peghor she -che himat varsara mal nashe

Vrak hagha mashaal sha -che tiara she au de bal nashe

Strength can turn into humiliaton if it is not accompanied by will power.

The lamp that can not light up in the dark is not worth its name.

Ghani Khan

5

To my father Sher Afzal Khan whom we called Aba Jan and my mother Hussan zari whom every one in the family and village called Baabi. May ALLAH have mercy upon my parents and rest their souls in peace and give them a beautiful place in Janat-ul- Firdaus.

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Contents Preface………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9

PAKISTANI RULERS AND THEIR GOVERNANCE. ............................................................................. 11

Pukhtun Students Federation ........................................................................................................ 43

Pukhtun Nationalists Parties .......................................................................................................... 45

KALABAGH DAM ............................................................................................................................ 54

ELECTIONS 2008 ............................................................................................................................. 59

DEMOCRACY and CORRUPTION in PAKISTAN ............................................................................... 62

Pukhtuns and International community ........................................................................................ 69

PUKHTUN HEROES ......................................................................................................................... 82

A CONCISE INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................

Sher Shah Suri(1472-1545) .............................................................................................................

KHUSHAL KHAN KHATTAK ..............................................................................................................

Ahmad Shah Abdali (1722-1773 AD) ..............................................................................................

ABDUL SAMAD KHAN ACHAKZAI(1907-1973) ................................................................................

ABDUL GHAFFAR KHAN(1890-20th jan.1988) .................................................................................

Mohammad Afzal Khan

Me and My Family ....................................................................................................................... 102

Testimonial Notes……………………………………………………………………….109 Tables ........................................................................................................................................... 110

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I am thankful to my wife, my son Afrasiab and my daughter Aila for their support and help while I was writing this book as without their co operation it would be very difficult for me to complete this study. My friend Ghani Khattak was really very helpful in completion of this study; he always advised and corrected me. I am also thankful to my friends Professor Basharat, Bashar Naveed, Hasan Khan, Janisar Khan, Jamal Khan,Masood shah and Adil Khattak for their encouragement and help in completing this study. My progressive,nationalists and liberal colleagues of Pukhtun cultural society and Pukhtun jirga Forum realy encouraged me and co-operated a lot. I am greatful to my friend Riffat Khattak who designed the cover of this book showing a miserable Pukhtun father and son in the midst of fire and blood who are desperate to escape this horrible situation. I am also thankful to my nephew Arsalan Khan for bringing this book online. Pukhtuns are peace loving people, but have been portrayed to the International community as a terrorist nation. The rich and powerful humiliated and dishonored Afghans/Pukhtuns and made them slaves and mercenaries and hired them against each other on very easy terms and conditions. Pukhuns are in search of peace and self respect on their own soil, which have been taken away from them by the friends and foes. The most important factor of a nation is visionary leadership. This is very unfortunately there is a big gap between the Pukhtun leadership and the common Pukhtuns. The leader ship is incompetent and not sincere. They have made millions in the line of fire and the common Pukhtuns is in the cross fire. A Pukhtun who is presently a slave of slaves was once King Farid Khan(Sher Shah Suri) and King Ahmad Khan(Ahmad Shah

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Durrani/Abdali) who ruled Hindustan,the present Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Iran. In history the rule of these great Afghans/Pukhtuns Emperors was considered the best managed rule in this part of the world. Today the unemployed poor Pukhtun is worried about his future. They are experiencing the most difficult situation. Pukhtuns are brave and courageous people, skilled,intelligent,honest,hard working and proven excellent fighters and managers but have been made beggars. Pukhtun’s body has been cut into pieces by the Colonial British and Pakistani rulers for the selfish reasons and so called administration purposes. They are bleeding and are in severe pain and agony. Pukhtuns have been kept poor, illetrate and ignorant by the rulers and their agents so that they can be used any time for their personal interests. Their poverty,illetracy, love for religion and culture has been exploited. Pukhtuns need some one like Faqir of Ipi, The British viceroy in a letter dated July 14th 1938, written to the secretary of state for India says that ‘There is no possibility to make a deal with Faqir of Ipi, as he is completely incorruptible’. Governor Cunningham further named and wrote in his diaries that he purchased many Pukhtuns Khawaneen, Khan Bahadurs, Nawabs, Pirs and Mullahs but it was impossible to purchase Mullah Powindah and Hajji sahib of Taurangzai.In one of the diary Cunningham seemed delighted when he made a deal and purchased the sons of Mullah Powindah and Hajji Sahib of Taurangzai after the death of Mullah sahib and Hajji sahib. Mughal King Aurangzeb also made deals and purchased the sons and grand sons of the Great Pukhtun nationalist, poet and warrior leader Khushal Khan Khattak. Abdul Ghafar Khan and Khudai Khidmatgars were humiliated and tortured in British and Pakistani prisions, they sacrificed their comforts and properties but never compromised on the freedom movement and rights of their people. History is repeating itself, mis-management and corruption is at its peak in Pakistan. The sons, grand sons and the followers of religious and political leaders are continuously selling the religious and political philosophiesof their leaders and fore-fathers

9

PREFACE

My close friends insisted since long that I should recollect and record my

memories and write about the historical facts and current uncertain political

and economical position of Pakistan. As I am not a writer by profession or

inclination, initially it seemed a very difficult job, but when I started going

down my memory lane I found it very interesting and felt that my labor will

be of interest for the readers. I really enjoyed the remembrance of times past

and studying more and more for this purpose. These few pages are about my memories of personal life, school, college and

university period, my family and friends. Khushal Khan Khattak’s nationalist

ideology and Ghaffar Khan's non violent political philosophy have been

discussed in detail in this study. The achievements of great Afghan/Pukhtun

emperors Sher Shah Suri and Ahmad Shah Abdali have also been discussed.

King of Hindustan Sher Shah Suri (Farid Khan) is my ideal in managing a

state. A dip in history and concise introduction of some luminaries of

Pukhtuns history have been presented to the readers.

The current political and economical instability and militancy in Pakistan has

been discussed in depth. Blood has become cheaper than water in Pakistan.

We see Pakistan sinking before our eyes but still the proponents of the

system portray themselves as innocent, each player is trying to put the

responsibility on others shoulders but infact all are equally responsible. The

militancy and extremism during General Zia and General Musharaf’s rule has

become so deep rooted that when Pakistan Army under the Army

commander General Ashfaq Pevaiz Kayani decided to confront the militants

and extremists, Pakistan Army paid a heavy price. More than 2700 soldiers

were martyred and more than 6500 wounded till April 2010.

As reported since 2003, Pakistani fatalities in terrorist violence stand at

27,756.Since 2002 there have been 241 suicide bomb attacks, and there have

been2, 284 bomb blast across Pakistan.

Terrorist acts are not only causing death of innocent citizens and destruction

of private and public properties but also chaos and un-certainity.Preaching

and following the true message and spirit of Islam is the need of the hour to

counter religious extreemism.The indiscreet behavior of the extremists is

doing great loss to the peace and progress besides bringing bad name to the

religion of Islam. The religious extremism and terrorism practiced in the

name of Islam has also made difficult the living conditions of the Muslims

living in the west, who went there to improve their economic conditions.

10

They are now bearing the brunt of the angry reaction. This intolerant and

extremist behavior also badly affected Pakistan economically as the

prospective local or foreign investors are reluctant to invest in Pakistan.

In this study, policy of strategic depth in Afghanistan and its serious

repercussions are also disscussed.Fifty Million Pukhtuns living on both sides

of the Durand line in Pakistan and Afghanistan can’t be just ignored. They

are same people having same cuture, traditions, mother tongue and religion.

I have also tried to throw light on the political history, foreign policy, loot

and plunder of the rulers and present unpleasant situation and irresponsible

behavior and non serious attitude of the ruling elite

What we experience all around us is political instability, moral degeneration,

social disintegration and economic downturn. The common Pakistanis in this

vicious struggle for power and money are the real victims. The poor people

are paying for the lust and follies of the rulers.

The politicians and ruling elite in Pakistan are too strongly influenced by the

desire for money and power. A mechanism involving money and power

brokers has emerged in the name of democracy and religion.

Pakistan financial future seems to be distinctly grim. Rupees 1000 Billion

deficit budget for the year 2010-11 has been presented. Deficit budget

means more spending and less income.Pakistan is heading to bankruptcy.

There is no other way to save Pakistan from bankruptcy except cutting

massive government spending and eliminating corruption from the roots,

Pakistan can’t stand more loot and plunder, trimming at this stage will be of

no use. Tax system must be made transparent and improved. People are not

convinced to pay taxes to the corrupt rulers. The past and present rulers

should be asked and given a dead time to bring all their wealth from abroad

and declare their assets in side and out side of Pakistan. Good governance,

merit and transparency should be established by the rulers. Rule of law must

be the priority. The present situation of corruption and law lessens in

Pakistan is disgusting.

Pakistan is a beautiful country, a paradise on the face of the earth. Our

corrupt rulers have made a hell of this peace of land. All patriotic citizens are

requested to put there share to make it a welfare state. The rulers should be

taught the meaning of national honour and self esteem, as these words are

not in their dictionaries, they are the slaves of their conscience. They have

sold their souls to the devils.

Pakistan can emerge from shadows into the light and it can leave the sorrows

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of the past behind if there is liberations of minds, a cultural revolution. The

remaking of Pakistan has to begin with dismantling the present thinking of

ruling.

We expect from our leaders not to fracture the nation’s hopes and genuinely

make democracy in Pakistan a cherished goal rather than a mere slogan.

Pakistanis need serious and honest self analysis followed by bold initiatives.

Some thing has gone seriously wrong with our society. Compassion and

tolerance are the virtues that are an essential ingredient of peace and harmony

between people of different faiths and creeds in any society.

We have so many examples of our prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who shown

exemplary tolerance while dealing with individuals and communities.

Engr.Asif Ali Khan

Islamabad, Pakistan

E-mail:asifalikhan@engineer.com

PAKISTANI RULERS AND THEIR GOVERNANCE.

Serious problems have been mishandelled in Pakistan. Sixty five years after

independence, we have an artificial political system, a rubber stamp, weak

and ineffective Parliaments.The present election commission stated that there

are 35 miilion bogus votes registered. The Federation is united only by a rope

of sand. Pakistan has become a land of opportunities for the corrupt and has

become a slave and a beggar state.

The floods of August 2010 further added in the miseries of the people of

Pakistan. Almost 30 million people have been badly affected. The UN has

described the devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan as one of the

greatest disaster in history. The after effect of these floods on political and

economic culture in Pakistan is believed to be severe. The rulers are totally

failed in providing relief to the affected people. The international community

is not willing to give enough donations in cash as there is image and trust

deficit of Pakistani rulers.

We have serious problems and we need serious people to address them with a

sense of urgency.

12

It is the age of research which is based on education, but unfortunately

Pakistan is stranger to education. Education and technology are the main

pillars of a nation to build the building of prosperity, but look at the budget

we are providing to education which is less than 2%.Our selfish and crooked

rulers spent most of their time in plotting to hold on to power and they have

no time to think of setting the country on a course towards betterment.

In the name of religion, democracy and national solidarity serious crimes and

sins have been committed by the selfish and corrupt rulers.Pukhtun land in

Pakistan is a front line region in the war on terror and suffered heavily both

in terms of life and property. It is very difficult to forget how attempts were

made to prevent Pukhtuns displaced by terrorism and military operations in

Pukhtunkhwa and FATA from seeking refuge and work in Sindh, Punjab and

Islamabad. In their own country Pukhtuns were treated not as internally

displaced Pakistanis but refugees from some other country. It was generally

believed that muhajirs.Sindhi and Punjabis did not want that more Pukhtuns

should come to Karachi and other cities of Pakistan.

Pukhtuns have a right to know that who is behind the target killings of

innocent Pukhtuns and others in Karachi and how much price is usually

agreed and paid for each Person killed to those who claim to be the

representatives political party of killed ones. The massacre of Pukhtuns is

alarming and suspicious too.They are being killed under a

conspiracy.Because of poverty and unemployment many Pukhtuns families

are continueously migrating for better life in Karachi and other cities of

Pakistan, but they are targeted and killed in Karachi. MQM and PPP are

battling for political power of provincial capital and port city Karachi.MQM

is a political force in Pakistan, because of its strong presence in Karachi.

MQM can’t afford to loose political control over Karachi. During recent

years ANP has become very close to Zardari PPP,Zardari is using present

ANP leadership against MQM and in return the ANP leadership receive a lot

of favours. ANP leadership is using Pukhtuns to fight against MQM as a

result innocent Pukhtuns are killed in reaction by MQM,of course Mr.Zardari

will benefit politically,their will be more blood shed in Karachi as the

political players are playing a very dangerous game.

Common Pukhtuns believe that all the stake holders at the Federal and sindh

provincial government are involved in the killing of Pukhtuns and others in

Karachi. Almost One hundred people were killed in target shooting,

properties were damaged and vehicles torched in the first three days of

August 2010 and more than one hundred people were killed and seriously

wounded in three days of third week of October 2010.

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In politically motivated mayhem only in Karachi so far in 2010 more than

1100 people have been killed and in 2009 more than 800 people were killed

mostly in hit and run attacks.

There are more than four million Pukhtuns mostly living in Karachi slums

doing tough and low paid menial jobs. A young and brave Pukhtun journalist

Wali Khan Babar was shot dead point blank on January 13, 2011.It was

reported that he was target killed by drug traffickers’ patronage by political

lords of Karachi.

Peace in Karachi has become a subject of visits of politicians and Federal

Ministers to Karachi. Deals are made between them which are usually kept

secret. This democracy based on blood and brief cases is shameful and is no

more acceptable.

It is believed that these stake holders are the actual producers and directors of

such horrible shows in which poor Pukhtuns and others are killed. These

leaders think that Pukhtuns, Sindhi and Mohajirs are only cards in their hands

which they will use for their selfish interests but actually they are playing

with fire.

Since creation of Pakistan we are hearing false slogans of nation hood by the

rulers to accomplish their selfish goals. Islam is used as hollow slogan in

Pakistan. Worship places like mosques, churches and temples are not safe.

A nation by definition is made of people who share common values, ideals,

thinking and who are bound together by the notion that there is common

good in being together.

Politics has become a magnet for the corrupt minded people in Pakistan. The

dilemma is that the top political elite and bureaucracy are totally corrupt with

the exception of very few. Every one is corrupt according to his position and

status in politics and bureaucracy, as the position and status of a person is

upgraded in politics or bureaucracy, his corruption activities are also

increased and it is noticed that there is close relation between the corrupt

politicians and bureaucrats.

The present Pakistani political leadership attitude and irresponsible behavior

is like a person who was told not to spit on the floor, so he stood up and spat

on the ceiling. The mentality of lying and cheating is at the peak. Our rulers

are not only indulging in shameless activities, but also defend them.

Pakistan has become a torture cell for its common citizens and a safe heaven

for the powerful and influential. Millions of poor people can’t even afford

three square meal a day. Innocent citizens are tortured by power and gas load

shedding, non availability of food items and price hike have made the life of

common citizens miserable. Innocent people are killed by suicide bombers in

14

the markets and mosques, schools are destroyed and bombed, which means

total disaster of future generations.

Our sisters in FATA are scared when their children play in the open out of

fear because of constant humming of CIA spy planes (Drones) which has

become a routine on Pukhtun soil.Pukhtuns argues that those militant

Pukhtuns who are violating the laws of the land should be dealt according to

the law of the land and if found guilty should be punished. Methods based on

intelligence reports can be adopted to deal with such militants Pukhtuns.

Drones should be used only against the outsiders who are using Pukhtun soil

for their ulterior motives and global agenda.Drone strikes should be carried

only where the capacity of Pakistan military ad Air Force may not get them.

They were never the guests of Pukhtuns, billions of dollars were given to the

Pakistani rulers and their agents to fight against the Red Army in

Afghanistan. Best training and equipment were provided to them as a result

they were considered the best guerrillas in the world. Now they are on the

killing spree of the sons of the soil. They are involved in target killing of

Pukhtun elders to accomplish their agenda.common Pukhtuns are no match

to their skills of fighting,of cource they are highly trained and equipped with

sophisticated weapons.Pukhtuns would like to have zero percentage of

colletrol damage of innocent Pukhtuns and we need guarantee from the

owners of Drones that if any innocent Pukhtun are harmed by the Drone

strikes the owner must pay Rupees twenty million to each dead and rupees

ten million to each wounded Pukhtun as compensation.

If a state can not protect its citizens from internal and external challenges

then society starts falling apart. The present situation is very alarming.

Dignity and security is the basic right of every citizen.

In Pakistan laws are only for the poor citizens who can’t afford to bribe the

police and other concerned government servants. The powerful and the

mighty are above the law.

The politicians in the government and in the opposition in the Parliaments

have agreed on one point agenda and are on board with reference to

corruption. . Besides other corrupt practices, the MPA’s and MNA’s get 25%

commission even from their developmental funds.

15

As reported by Transparency International and Public Procurement

Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Pakistan can simply save Dollars four to eight

Billion annually by merely curbing corruption in all procurements by

implementing Public Procurement Rules 2004 in the Federal Government,

Armed Forces, and all the four Provinces of Pakistan and

corporations/Authorities, trusts. This means that we will not need any

borrowings from World Bank or IMF if we can save this money. Besides this

losses and corruption of Rupees 300 billion per year occur in the state owned

public corporations like PIA,Railways,Pepco,Pakistan Steel mill.

These could not be done by the corrupt and forgers sitting in Pakistani

Parliaments. Sincere and honest people from different fields are needed to

come forward to save the country. Professionals, Social workers, God fearing

and sons of the soil are needed to accomplish this task. Known social

workers should be asked to serve this un-fortunate country. The present

political, economic, and security situation of Pakistan is extremely critical

and close to a total collapse. Saving Pakistan will be a miracle. Abnormal

steps should be taken to save this country. The present system had failed to

solve the problems of the people and made the ruling elite more corrupt and

promoted dynastic politics.

The life of Pukhtuns comparatively has become more miserable.Pukhtuns are

the most affected and impoverished nation in the region who lives below the

poverty line, but are introduced to the international community as terrorists

and extremists and enemies of the humanity and particularly the West.

The selfish and dishonest religious, political and nationalist leaders exploited

Pukhtuns illiteracy, poverty, un-employment, religious tendency and love for

their culture and soil. Common Pukhtuns are the ultimate causality and the

most bewildered people.

The senior Pukhtun bureaucrats like politicians who also got chances at

different times to serve the poor people failed completely, they were proved

selfish and more loyal to their masters. Out of fear of loosing the authority

and comforts of life, they were reluctant even to take up at higher level of the

government the genuine demands of Pukhtuns in the Federation of Pakistan.

16

Pukhtuns have been almost crippled by USSR invasion of Afghanistan in

1979, USA war on terrorism after 9/11, Arab Alqaida terrorist activities and

policies of Punjabi establishment and Punjabi Taliban teachers of poor young

Pukhtuns.

Rich Arab Alqaida money and Punjabi/Kashmiri trainers have created a force

of poor young unemployed Pukhtun foot soldiers and suicide/human

bombers controlled by remote by their trainers and teachers.

Pukhtuns have been made the slaves of the slaves. It is very unfortunate that

the simple Pukhtuns still don't know who are their friends and who are their

foes.

Pukhtuns are considered liars and slaves by the Punjabi establishment and

their paid mullas in Pakistan; they don't even consider the declaration of

sighting of Eid moon or Ramazan moon by Pukhtun men and women.Untill

and unless moon is sighted in other parts of Pakistan, Eid and Ramazan are

never celebrated in Pakistan.

According to‘QURAN’the hypocrites will be the fuel of the Hell

fire.Hypocricy is totally forbidden in Islam and is considered a sin. What

hurts me most as a Muslim is that our religious leaders and even those who

have knowledge of Islam are also corrupt,thieves, cheats, liars and hypocrites

like other corrupt politicians and Pakistani establishment.

Allah’s messenger and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that ‘Any man

whom Allah has given the authority to rule over some people and does not

look after them with sincerity will not even smell the scent of Paradise’

In the early 1980’s after the USSR invaded Afghanistan, the deadly jihadist

machinery was created by the international community with the help of

Pakistani establishment on Pukhtun soil in Pakistan to fight against the Red

Army.

After the withdrawal of the Red Army from Afghanistan the US and its allies

also packed up, leaving all these foreigners and local trained fighters on our

soil. They were trained and equipped with sophisticated weapons including

deadly Stingers missiles; they were considered strategic assets by the

establishment, are now slaughtering, killing and dishonoring innocent

Pukhtuns and fighting against even Pakistan Army and other Pakistani

security agencies and are a threat to the regional and world peace.

After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan the International players helped,

17

funded and built thousands of religious madrasas(schools) for the only

purpose to prepare ideological religious army who could fight against the

Red Army in Afghanistan and if needed in Pakistan. These madrasas as

financed by international community and particularly by rich Arabs produced

thousands of fanatics across Pakistan.

The religious schools built before 1979(Soviet invasion of Afghanistan) were

great institutions of pure teaching and learning religion, but the international

community including the rich Arab countries and Punjabi establishment

almost destroyed this great asset for their selfish interests.

Pakistani nuclear program rather than strengthening Pakistan's defense has

endangered its safety and survival. The apprehension of the international

community that the Pakistani nuclear weapons would land in the hands of

those who could create problems for them is very alarming. According to an

article in 'The New Yorker' special teams had been prepared by US and some

have already been sent to Dubai to deal with any situation in Pakistan if

nuclear weapons landed in wrong hands.

It seemed that nuclear Pakistan is not acceptable to many, Pakistanis will

face a lot more miseries for its becoming a nuclear state. There are reasons to

believe that many would indeed like Pakistan to be labeled a failed

state.Generally it is believed that the policies of different Pakistani

governments played the major role to get Pakistan labelled a failed state.

It is true that we have dangerous militant groups and individuals in Pakistan.

We have been the victim of terrorism more than Iraq and Afghanistan.

The expenditure on the nuclear programs had already increased the miseries

of the poor people of Pakistan. Two important sectors like education and

health are completely ignored. Poverty and ignorance has become our

national symbols.

Pakistan demonstrated its nuclear capability on May28, 1998 just 17 days

after India went nuclear on May 11, 1998.It is now 12 years since we have

become nuclear, the worries of our national defense have increased and we

have become more miserable and it seems that there is no hope for

betterment.

It is the poor people of Pakistan and India that have suffered because our

already meager resources are diverted towards warfare at the cost of human

development. Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan should have been

18

settled earlier according to the wishes of the people of Kashmir. India and

Pakistan both should have improved human rights conditions on the ground.

Those who are threatening a nuclear war are the enemies of humanity. It will

be a slap on the face of humanity who ever takes initiative to use this lethal

weapon.

This is really very unfortunate that relations between Pakistan and India as

neighbors are not good and it is alleged that they are involved in serious

conspiracies against each other. The killing of Hindus and Muslims during

partition and migration process in 1947 and after that the wars fought

between Pakistan and India left a bitter legacy of hate. The leaders of both

the countries had failed to improve relations between the two countries. The

leadership of both exploited the sentiments of their citizens. The leadership

of both the countries have made their countries hostage to disputes with each

other.

We should learn from the history of other nations, if different nations in

Europe having nuclear technology and with bitter past history of wars and

hatred can live peacefully as good neighbors , why Pakistan and India can’t

live as good neighbors.

The present judiciary led by chief justice Ifttikhar chaudry has immerged as a

ray of hope and a light at the end of the tunnel. It seems that the bold

decisions taken by the Supreme Court in the recent past has developed and

given confidence and hope to the people that soon Pakistanis will see rule of

law, accountability and honorable living. This hope given to the people by

the Supreme Court has stopped anarchy for the time being although time for

anarchy or a revolution in this country is very ripe.

Those leaders and families who ruled this country till date are the real

culprits. In the name of integrity, religion and democracy unspeakable sins

and crimes are committed by the rulers. The mind set of the rulers remained

the same through out 65 years life of Pakistan.

Before Independence we served British Empire and after independence

Pakistan served American interests in the region under one guise or the other.

The American interests are considered always supreme.In return the

Americans helped Pakistan a lot.

Pakistan needs and hopefully will get leaders like Sher Shah Suri or

Chairman Mao or Mahatir Muhammad. who changed the fate of their

nations. The great Afghan and King of Hindustan Sher Shah Suri’s (Farid

Khan) achievements in his five years rule were not less then miracles. China

19

under the leadership of Chairman Mao-se-Tung did a lot for the development

of China which is now an economic giant and even America is borrowing

money from it. It took only one generation to achieve this. Similarly under

the leadership of Mahathir Muhammad Malaysia seems to be another world,

Malaysians are challenging even European and Japan Economies.

Pakistanis have a fear of insecurity in the back of their minds as they have

already experienced the disintegration of their country. Citizens of other

countries live with no such fears.

Civilization of a nation is assessed not only by its laws or constitution or

religious beliefs or culture but by how much respect its society offered to its

fellow men and women and their belief.

Pakistan must stay together and should have peace with its neighbours; it

needs a new Federal arrangement that gives much greater powers to the

federating units. We don’t have provincial autonomy but lots of

interprovincial prejudices. I would like to give example of Malaysia where

provinces have even their own flags and in china provinces have their own

Air lines.

The international players should avoid undue pressure on Pakistan and

Afghanistan and should give practical support to the poor people of these

countries.The poor people of Pakistan and Afghanistan need sincere support

from the international community. We are peace loving people and we want

to live with peace and honor.

Washington’s warning to Pakistan of severe consequences, if a successful

extremist attack in the US was traced back to Pakistan like the failed Times

square bombing on May 1, 2010 is not fair.Declaring Pakistan as a terrorist

or a failed state because of few corrupt rulers and criminals is unfair, because

of few gangster the entire country can’t be put in the dock.

Pakistanis expect from the international community and particularly America

to stand by the forces of law in Pakistan. Fortunately for the first time in the

history of Pakistan, our supreme court is playing a very important role.

Our past and present rulers have made Pakistan a beggar state always holding

a begging bowl asking for charity and aid. Pakistani rulers like termites have

eroded the foundations of Pakistan. They themselves have made fortunes

around the world and made Pakistanis the slaves of the slaves. They looted

the state coffers indiscriminately. Presently Pakistan is passing through a

decisive moment of its history.

20

When any of the five pillars (Justice, Treasure, Armed forces, Media and

Parliament) of a state are weakened one should pray for fair weather.

This is unbelievable that not a single person has been punished for the

disintegration of Pakistan on 16th December 1971 and no one asked Z.A

Bhutto the reasons for rejecting Poland’s sponsored UN resolution on 15th

December 1971 which lead the surrender of one hundred Pakistani troops

under the command of General Niazi in East Pakistan.

This is very unfortunate that we have not yet learned any lesson from the

history. Even the fall of Dhaka did not open the eyes of our rulers to the

realization that the mother tongue, history, culture and people’s aspirations

are very important factors in life. The power of ideology and ethnicity should

not be under estimated.

In my visit to Dhaka (Bangladesh) from 18th

to 25th

Feb, 2011, I attended the

celebration of 21st Feb.of mother language International day at martyr’s

memorial at Dhaka University. Bengalis gave great sacrifices to achieve their

goal.21st Feb.is recognized by UNESCO and celebrated through out the

world as international mother language day to remember the martyrdom of

four Dhaka university students Rafiue,Salam,Barkat and Jabbar.I was very

impressed for Bengalis love for mother soil and mother language. I really felt

ashamed when I observed the atrocities of Pakistani rulers and religious

parties on the people of East Pakistan(now Bangladesh).In the name of

national solidarity, crimes and sins were committed against Bengalis. East

and West Pakistan were two thousands kilometer apart, even the people were

way apart in their looks,language,food,clothes,culture and heritage, only one

thing was common and that was religion and surely that was not enough to

keep a state intact as there are so many Muslim states in the world. I believe

that extra efforts had to be put in, but the Pakistani rulers did not do that.

Pakistani rulers forced the Bengalis in economic oppression much more was

language, culture and heritage oppression.

Pakistan was disintegrated for the simple reason that for the first time

Pakistan would be ruled under East Pakistan’s leadership according to the

results of 7th

Dec.1970 elections. General Yahiya and Z.A Bhutto were the

key conspirators and designers of the blue print to stop Sheikh Mujeeb from

taking power. On the 1st of March General Yahya postponed the proposed

session of National Assembly which was summoned on 3rd

march in Dhaka.

Curfew was imposed and the soil of Bangladesh was bathed by the blood and

ultimately Bangladesh’s flag was hoisted and Rabindernath Tagore’s(Amar

sonar Bangla) was decided to be Bangladesh’s national anthem.

Being Muslims we also did n’t learn any lesson from the tragedy of karbala

21

in which the grand son of prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him), Hazrat

Imam Hussain(RA) and son of Hazrat Ali(AS)and Bibi Fatima(AS) was

martyred with other family members and companions. We look only the

tragic side of what happened and did n’t learn the lesson of rising against a

tyrant and corrupt ruler like Yazid.In the last sermon Imam Hussain said that

he wished to promote good and forbid evil.

For much of Pakistan’s history the establishment from the province of

Punjab, muhajirs and Army high command ruled this country. The ideology

of Pakistan is largely a Punjabi/Muhajirs artifact. Pakistan as a fortress of

Islam is also their concept.Punjabi/Muhajir establishment was the artifact and

brain behind of one- unit and converting the majority of Bengalis in united

Pakistan to a minority. Making one unit of four provinces of West Pakistan

against the Bengalis of East Pakistan and declaring Urdu as a national

language instead of presence of other mother languages was proven to be the

main cause of disintegration of Pakistan in 1971 and creation of Bangladesh.

As Punjab and Muhajirs were making the policies, controlling and running

the affairs of Pakistan so they are responsible where Pakistan stands today.

They made a mess of the whole thing.

It has become Pakistani culture that we always blame foreign hidden hands

for our ills. In fact we are our own worst enemy. We are experts to make a

mess of things all by over selves.

In Pakistan it was the substandard quality of political leadership on the other

hand in India it was the quality of the leadership produced by the

independence movement.

We must work out that what we have done to Jinnah’s Pakistan since his

death in 1948 just after one year of independence in 1947.We must

remember the wordings of Pakistan resolution of 1940 and Mr. Jinnah speech

on 11th

August in 1947 constituent assembly of Pakistan in Karachi.

Pakistan Resolution 1940 demanded that the areas in which the Muslims

were numerically in a majority, as in the north western and eastern zones of

India, should be grouped to constitute ‘Independent States’ in which they

shall be autonomous and sovereign.

The surprising contents of a speech that Jinnah made on 11 August, three

days before the creation of Pakistan, to the constituent Assembly are

‘If you change your past and work together in a spirit that every one of you,

no matter what community he belongs to, no matter what his colorcast or

creed, is first, second and last a citizen of this state, with equal rights,

privileges and obligations, there will be no end of the progress you will

22

make. I can not emphasize it too much. We should begin to work in this spirit

and in course of time all those angularities of the majority and minority

communities, the Hindu community and the Muslim community-because

even as regards Muslims you have Pathans,Punjabis,Shias,Sunnis,and so on,

and among the Hindus you have Brahmins,Vishnavas,Khatris also

Bengalis,Madrasis and so on-will vanish’.

Six months later the death of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah ,the

constituent Assembly adopted the objective resolution that dealt a crippling

blow to Jinnah's pledge of August 11th

1947 that all are equal citizens of

Pakistan.

The agenda of the Quaid and his creation ‘Pakistan’ was hijacked by those

who called it ‘naapak’(not clean) Pakistan. Sir Zafar Ulla an Ahmadi was a

foreign minister and Joginder nath a Hindu was a law minister in the cabinet

of Mr.Jinnah.Mr Jaganat Azad,a Hindu poet was asked by Mr. Jinnah to

write the national anthem of Pakistan, which he did and it was approved by

the Quaid and it was aired on radio Pakistan on 14th

August 1947.The present

national anthem was written in 1954 by hafeez jallundry and approved by

prime minister Muhammad Ali Bogra.

Mr. Jinnah guide lines on state and religion were discarded.

We must think and find out that who created the hatred between

Shias,Sunnis,Deobandi,Barelvi,Ahmadis,Bengalis,Punjabis,Pukhtuns,Mohaji

r,Sindhis and Baluchis?Who made Pakistan one of the most dangerous and

corrupt country in the world. Who are these fanatics who appear bent upon

destroying every thing.

Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) said “A believer to another believer is like a

building ,whose different parts reinforce each other while saying this prophet

clasped his fingers interlaced”.

The killers are killing Pakistani men, women and children in the mosques,

markets and any where they like. They are killing them indiscriminately even

in the religious gatherings. The ordinary citizens are like sitting ducts for

easy shoot and easy kill. As reported in the last two years(2008,2009) 3000

people have bee perished at the hands of the terrorists and thousands have

been critically wounded and many have been made handicapped for life and

there is no end in sight to this blood bath.The enemy is within every where.

We should learn from the history .We need strict laws like the land mark

verdict of the Bangladesh Supreme Court of January 3,2010 which order a

ban on the abuse of religion for political purpose. The Bangladeshi Supreme

Court observed secularism means both religious tolerance as well as religious

freedom. The state should ensure protection to the followers of all faiths with

23

out any discrimination, even including to an etheist.The court paved the way

for a secular Bangladesh as envisaged in the constitution framed by the

founder of the country Sheikh Mujeeb Ur Rehman back in 1972.The same

court also declared the 5th amendment to the Bangladesh constitution as

illegal which was passed by the Bangladesh Parliament resembling past and

present rubber stamped National Assemblies of Pakistan.

Pakistan army operations in Swat/Malakand and FATA are token of a new

beginning.Swat operations against the fanatic militants are a success

story.Writ of the government has been re-established in Swat/Malakand.

People of Pakistan were unified in support of sincere military actions and

they stood behind the armed forces of Pakistan, in past the military dictators

and corrupt politicians made peace deals with the militants for their selfish

reasons which made the militants very strong and aggressive.

This is very unfortunate that we don’t have a leader at this critical period of

our history. A true political leadership is not available to the people of

Pakistan.

An effective and corruption free civil administration is the need of the hour

other wise all these efforts and sacrifices of the brave people and soldiers

would be wasted. It is reported by the spokesman of Pakistan Army that more

than five hundred soldiers and officers have been martyred and more than a

thousand have been wounded only in Swat operation, three million Pakistanis

were displaced in three weeks from their homes. It is reported that for every

ten soldiers, Pakistan Army lost one officer.

The culture of corruption and exploitation has become so widespread within

the political /religious and Civil/Military bureaucracy that any one who

enters this circle loses the sense that taking such undue advantages is a

serious crime, the fact is that corruption is a curse that is far more deeply

rooted and so deeply entrenched that it is not even considered as an issue by

the corrupt one’s, corruption in our society has become so prevalent that any

thing other than corruption seems abnormal. Even in this critical period the

present situation of corruption in the form of commissions and awarding of a

developmental construction projects ranges up to 40%.The share of a

member of a parliament out of his development fund is more than 25% as a

result the public infrastructures fall apart due to poor quality works in little

span or because of rains and floods. On the other hand the poor Pakistanis are

24

not getting enough to eat. The most poor sell their kidney for emergency

needs.

The mental state of a corrupt person is similar to that of a prostitute,for botht

the prime consideration is money,they are on the samefooting and wave

length,money is all that matters to both.The term ‘corruption’is generally

applied to all situations or acts of dishonesty and unlawful conduct on the

part of those resorting to abuse of power. Common Pakistanis are involved in

a consistent battle for survival from meal to meal, while on the other hand,

the loaded segments are engaged in a crude and heartless display of their

riches with scant respect for those who live each day of their lives on the

verge of extinction. There are millions who have no access even to basic

medical care and education. Safe drinking water is not available to the

majority of Pakistan’s population. It is reported that two hundred thousand

poor children are killed each year because of using contaminated water in

Pakistan. Water is life, but our rulers have no time to form an effective water

policy and then implement the same on priority basis.

We are already the sixth largest population in the world. The explosion of

population bomb is a very serious issue. After a decade or two Pakistan will

be 3rd

largest population next to China and India.

Increasing unemployment is sowing seeds of disenchantment and frustration.

Millions are suffering because of reasons not of their own making. A horrible

disaster can be predicted in the near future if our rulers did not mend their

ways of governance.

If International communities open its borders for educated Pakistani youth,

more than 90% will leave this country for better life and would prefer to live

on foreign soil. Human smuggling has alarmingly increased during the last

few years. The human smuggling mafia is active with the collaboration of

corrupt politicians and government servants.

The photographs and stories in the media of the internally displaced

Pukhtuns are a reminder of the level of desperation marking the lives of

ordinary Pakistanis. Frauds and corruption in the form of commissions in my

home province Pukhtunkhwa in Police,Revenue,Shydo,Jails,Local bodies,

health,education,works departments,PERRA(provincial Earth quake

reconstruction authority), and corruption in funds for the Internally displaced

persons from Swat and Malakand were at the peak.90% of Pukhtuns

displaced by terrorism and military operation in Swat and Malakand were

accommodated by their Pukhtuns brothers and sisters of the adjoining

districts.

These corrupt people even eat up the funds allocated for the earth quake,

floods and terrorism victims, they don’t even spare zakat funds and it is

25

reported that corruption worth billions of rupees has been made in Hajj

operations.So what else one can expect from such rulers.

It is reported that the Federal and Provincial governments are involved in

purchasing ineffective and flawed scanners to check terrorism risking the

lives of the innocent citizens just for commissions and underhand deals.

It has been reported that thousands of schools have been converted in god

owns and cattle sheds in the rural areas and the corrupt government servants

and their politician bosses regularly withdraw salaries of teachers and other

related staff as well as maintenance funds against these schools on a regular

basis.

When a politician is caught or booked in a corruption case in Pakistan, he

says that it was a political motivated case. With the exception of very few

God fearing persons all political and religious leaders are corrupt and the

proof is that they live beyond their means.

Bad governance and corruption has multiplied several times in the present

so-called political and democratic set up in Pakistan. No one knows the

meaning of the word ‘MERIT’ in Pakistan. The democrats are exploiting

democracy and the religious mullahs and scholars are exploiting the religion.

In the name of democracy and religion unspeakable sins are committed.

For common citizens of Pakistan democracy is not the priority, there

priorities are elimination of poverty and un-employment, quick justice, peace

and development and effective price control. The result of a bye election in

Rawalpindi held on 26 August 2010 shows that winning candidate got only

9% out of total votes, the low turn out proved that the people have no interest

in the present corrupt democratic culture of Pakistan. If the rulers are sincere

to the people these demands need only 365 days to be solved. The dilemma is

that people sitting in Pakistani Parliaments have their own selfish interests.

Pakistani interests are being looked by those whose voice is always low or

not present in the Parliament.

Another dilemma with majority of Pakistani politicians is that they do no

work for their livelihood, they are totally dependable on income from politics

and this is the bottom line of corruption. When they are elected to a

parliament or local bodies they spend more of their time in under hands

deals,Permits,licences,recruitments,postings/transfer,Haj/zakat quota and

developmental funds.

According to Transparency international Rs.500 billion per year is pocketed

in corruption in Pakistan.Chairman transparency international Mr. Adil

26

Gilani stated that NAB(National Accountability bureau)is busy in legalizing

corruption in Pakistan. The federal finance minister of Pakistan Mr.Shaukat

tareen is reported to have said that corruption up to Rs.500 billion exists only

in the Federal Board of Revenue, 100 billion bank loans have been written

off over the last decade. A mega project of Sher Shah Bridge in Karachi.

Built by national highway authority collapsed after few days of inauguration

by General Musharaf,no one was punished for this criminal negligence. It is

reported that the same company and people have been awarded other

prestigious projects.

There is no such thing as bad democracy.Democracy is not multifaceted as

some politicians argue that even bad democracy is better than good

dictatorship. I believe this is not the ground reality when democracy becomes

bad than it becomes worst than dictatorship as the leaders in democratic

system think that they have a license of loot and plunder or they have free

pass to engage in fraud and crime. Democracy means rule of the people

through strong institutions, the representatives of the people should

strengthen the institutions and respect the rule of law.

Fragile and corrupt democracy is criminal and more dangerous and therefore

not acceptable. Half truth is more dangerous than a straight lie.

Corrupt politicians always try to link corruption with the survival of

democracy, when ever the cases of corruption are revealed, they make hue

and cry and term it a conspiracy against democracy. Another strong point of

view is that if corruption is encouraged and protected as being done in

Pakistan, democracy can’t take strong roots. Only good governance,

accountability, rule of law and transparency can save democracy. In Pakistan

the governments are sustained in power by unbridled corruption, which the

parliamentarians of the ruling party and their coalition partners have been

licensed to enjoy. In return they are expected to provide unconditional

support to the government. In Pakistan the government keeps only the

assembly members happy to survive in power. The corrupt use the slogan of

democracy to survive.

There is a misunderstanding that seems to be misguiding the politicians, they

argue that in democracy there is only one form of accountability which is

political. And thus it is only the electorate that can hold public

representatives accountable and that too every five years. Pakistani

politicians don’t have in their minds the legal accountability which is

distinguishable from political accountability.

The practitioners of democracy in Pakistan tried to pass the shameful act of

National Reconciliation Ordinance in the national parliament. Had this

amendment been Okayed by the Parliament, Pakistan would have become a

27

guaranteed heaven for the corrupt. There is not a single instance in the

history of blanket amnesty for corruption.

The blatantly shameless corrupt must be brought to book. The gift of so

called democracy to the people of Pakistan is that persons with criminal

record and corrupt past have become the rulers of Pakistan. They used the

looted money for buying votes. Showing stamped votes to each other inside

the Pukhtunkhwa pronincial assembly during the presidential election and

captured by private TV channel cameras was the proof of rigging and

selling/buying of votes. They did not even care for the constitutional

provision of secret ballot. During senate elections media persons were not

allowed to cover the senate elections in Pukhtunkhwa elections.

Democracy does not mean what the corrupt and powerful people want.

Besides this we have our own social, religious and cultural limitations. Our

current democracy has failed to come up with any answers of our major

problems of corruption, bad governance, accountability and war on terror.

Churchill while opposing the independence of Pakistan and India said that

before even reaching the periphery of the democratic system, the fate of the

millions will be in the hands of rouges and scoundrels.

Our real problems are not only external, presently we are facing internal

challenges too. We should learn not to blame others for our problems. We

ourselves are responsible for being where we are today. Those Pakistani

citizens and terrorists who are fighting Pakistan armed forces on Pakistani

soil are the enemies of our sovereignty.

In Feb.2008 elections the people of Pakistan voted for

accountability,peace,justice and rule of law. The people were robbed by their

leaders and the country woefully remains the same. The VIP culture has left

our common people at the mercy of the rulers. The people’s dreams have

been shattered. Once again the politicians have succeeded to make their

voters fools. Pakistanis had welcomed the restoration of democracy with the

hope that their representatives would measure up to their expectations and

will bring some relief, but as usual they are interested only in improving their

own fortunes. In a resent report on Pakistan economy the Asian Development

Bank has warned that Pakistan is living beyond its means. The bank has

suggested drastic reduction in non development expenditure. Pakistan is

under a dept of 60 billion dollars.

Our brazen faced politicians always cheated the people .They don’t believe in

the rule of law. They don’t care about the rules of the game. They are experts

in devising ingenuities to circumvent legal, moral and ethical norms for

28

personnel gains. Those who play this game of power and intrigues share the

booty through wheeling and dealing. They don’t care if they are discredited

in the eyes of the people. One can expect any thing from a Pakistan ruler to

stay in power or extend his stay. The NRO (National Reconciliation

Ordinance) is a recent example of president Musharaf and top politicians of

the country through which they had allowed each other sins and crimes

against the poor people. . Every one tried at that crucial stage for their last

minute political survival. This was the true face of Pakistan’s self serving

politicians.

Our policy of ‘KABUL MUST BURN’ and keep Afghanistan boiling since

last three decades has come back to haunt Pakistan. Flames of war do not

recognize any borders. Setting fire to your neighbor’s house can destroy your

own home when the flames spread. There is enough Afghan blood on

Pakistan’s hands.

Prophet Muhammad said that Allah does not show mercy to the one who is

not merciful to the people.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have a porous,open and very tough terrain boundry

line of 1400 miles by the name of Durand Line.Mr Henry Durand had drawn

this line of divide between a nation in 1893.This line between the two

countries also cut the body of Pukhtun nation into two pieces. Forty to fifty

million Pukhtuns live on both sides of Durand Line. Besides other regional

interests, Pakistan and Afghanistan are interconnected because of huge

Pukhtun population, which can’t be ignored. Any activity may be a war or a

festival, in either country is shared. This is the history and the ground

reality.Peace and mutual respect can ensure the prosperity and stability.

Pukhtuns living in the areas of the western borders of Pakistan are genuine

stake holders of any action that Pakistan plan for Afghanistan.Pukhtuns in

Pakistan have socioeconomic ties with the Pukhtuns living on the other side

of the Durand line and share loyalties of heart and home with them. As

citizens of Pakistan they have every right to be taken into account when any

decision is made which affect their daily life, their families,their loved ones

and interest on the other side of the Durand Line. We are living with war

clouds hanging over our heads since long and we don’t know when we will

be told that the war on terror is finally over. I see no end to this perpetual

war. For the vast majority this is a remote control war. I believe there can not

be a bigger strategic error than for Pakistan to wait and see for the allies to

begin to draw the curtain on this war.

As Pakistani leaders are mostly corrupt so they have lack of courage to take

bold steps, they are happy with the status quo actually status quo suits them,

29

they watch helplessly as innocent citizens are killed and the whole nation has

been affected and has become a psychologically a depressed nation.

A famous Pukhtun poet Rehman baba says’ whoever dugs a pit for another

shall himself fall therein’

Kuhai ma kana da bal sare pa laar ke

chare sta ba da kuhi pa ghara laar she

Pakistanis have become the victims of terrorism and the very existence of the

country is at stake by evil forces. The so called jihadi outfits are bent upon

unleashing death and destruction. My home province Khyber Pukhtunkhwa

is bleeding continuously. Peshawar was famous and known as city of gardens

and flowers continues to bleed on daily basis and the rulers are busy in loot

and plunder as if there is no tomorrow. There is shortage of flour, sugar, gas

and electricity. The inflated prices of daily use items are beyond the reach of

the poor people.

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and then the immediate Americans decision

/Policy of abandoning and leaving the sons of the soil at the mercy of the

Arab Alqaida terrorists and international criminals, which they brought from

all over the globe to our soil to fight against the Red Army were the root

causes of present uncertainty.

The Americans have been to the extent successful that after 9/11 there has

been no successful terrorist activity on the American soil, but the terrorists

have made a hell like situation in every village and city of Pakistan and

particularly on Pukhtun land.These foreigners and locals militants are so well

trained and in great number that Pakistan made them strategic friends.They

may be used in Afghanistan after the NATO withdrawl from Afghanistan or

in Kasmir.

Any untimely and UN managed withdrawal from Afghanistan this time could

be a disaster for the whole world and particularly for the region.

Half hearted operations by General Musharaf against the militants in Swat

and FATA also encouraged the extremists.In fact General Musharaf was

more harmful than General Zia for Pakistan and particularly for Pakistan

Army, ordinary Pakistanis think that both the generals were liars, corrupt and

hypocrites.Both of them were having the most corrupt team of religious

leaders and politicians.

The American policy of ‘DO MORE’ and Pakistani policy of” GIVE

MORE” has proved to be a total disaster.

The dubious peace deals with the militants by General Musharaf or

30

politicians also made the militants position very strong. The militants

emerged stronger after each deal, as a result the people of swat/malakand and

FATA suffered a lot.

It has been proven that the secular and democratic governments are also

corrupt. All surrendered to mullahs and militants for selfish reasons, all gave

concessions to them. Weaknesses of the Political leadership have strengthen

the clergy where as clerics in Pakistan have their own agenda. They want to

rule nuclear Pakistan from the mosques. In their sermons they talk less about

religion and more against USA,Europe,Israel and India. Liberation of

Kashmir, Palestine and preaching Jihad(war in the name of ALLAH) is their

favorite topic. USSR for the time being is a closed chapter for them.

The innocent Pakistanis were humiliated and tortured by both the

government forces and the militants. They were thrown to the wolves by

Musharaf and some times by the religious leaders and some times by the

nationalists and secularist so called democratic leaders.Pukhtuns paid more

than any one else for fighting militancy. Target killings of Pukhtuns elders is

a routine in Pukhtunkhwa, FATA and PATA.Innocent Swatis were not only

scared of militants but they were more scared when it was told to them that

Musharaf and Militants were allied. They were really very much confused

and this deteriorated the image of Pakistan Army in the eyes of ordinary

citizens. The target killings are still going on and this type of terrorism is

practiced only in my province as only the brave Pukhtuns are fighting the

militants. The government is not providing any security to common people

who are helping the government and are challenging the militants.

Millitants killed many Pukhtun elders who constituted peace committee on

community level. In resent past the accusations against elements within the

intelligence agencies for supporting militancy are much debated subjects.

The back ground of such accusations are based on some facts like there are

many in the Armed forces of Pakistan who served during the Zia era were

influenced by his fundamentalist world view and philosphy.They developed a

jihad’s culture and mind set. These people have close links with these

terrorists after their retirement from the armed forces and it is reported that

such people were involved in the attacks on GHQ Rawalpindi.

The so called leaders and politicians are invisible, they are either abroad or

stay in the President house, Prime Minister House, Chief Minister’s houses

and Governor Houses while in Pakistan. Politicians are not meeting the

people out of fear and many have send their families abroad as all of them

have apartments and luxurious houses in Dubai, London and else where. This

has become the culture of Pakistani politicians that they do politics in

Pakistan and maintain bank accounts and properties abroad.

31

The terrorists convicted by anti terrorist courts to death penalty and years of

imprisonments were acquitted by courts due to lack of substantial evidence

on the part of the prosecution or freed under the packages of dubious peace

deals between the government and the militants. The judges and the police

are also scared. The innocent people are scared to be witnesses against

terrorists. The innocent citizens of Pakistan and the foreigners working in

Pakistan on development projects are killed or kidnapped for ransom and the

terrorist go Scot free. Pakistanis are facing multiple horrors of religious

fanaticism and home grown militants who have challenged the writ of the

government again and again.

Being the citizens of Pakistan our rights are not safe guarded. Our lives and

honor are always at risk.Average Pakistani feel insulted and that is where it

hurts. The minds and souls of our people are corrupted in last 65 years of

independence, we have been taught a distorted history in our schools and

colleges. In Madrasas(Religious schools)built after the invasion of

Afghanistan by Soviet forces, hatred is taught instead of love and knowledge.

We have a mental block ,we teach our children that Pakistan is incomplete

with out Kashmir, which made us dependent on out side world. One of our

former Prime Minister Z.A Bhutto said in a speech that we will fight against

India for 1000 years. This type of statements really ruined us.such statements

by the rulers to exploit the emotions of the common citizens proved very

harmful.

The hypocrites even wrongly interpret the Holy book to get their selfish

designs accomplished. We have great teachers and scholars like Dr Zakir

Naik,Javed Ghamdi,Dr Farhat Hashmi and Amna Elahi.

Dr Zakir Naik says that out of context interpretation of Quran is not

acceptable.

The words attributed to Hazrat Abu Bakr are worthy of great consideration

that which earth will bear me and which sky will protect me,if I say any thing

by my personal opinion in interpreting the Quran. One should remember that

Quran are the words of Allah.

Pakistan has few honest social workers and philanthropists like Abdul Satar

Edhi and Imran khan. As I have already said that our minds and souls are

being corrupted so Pakistanis like the cowards and corrupt to teach and rule

them. We just give no space for selfless and honest people in our lives.Imran

32

Khan is doing a great service by helping the poor by providing them free

treatment and fighting the disease of cancer and helping them in education

sector.People gives him lot of donations.In Pakistan we don’t have such an

example of service to the poor people.Helping the flood affected people of

August 2010 floods is a great example of Imran’s efforts.Pakistanis donated

more than Rupees two billion in early few days on the call of Imran khan and

MKRF for the flood affected people,this proved the trust of Pakistanis on

Imran.On the other hand neither the common Pakistanis nor the International

community are willing to donate in cash to the present rulers.

Imran is not a success story for the time being in Pakistani politics.The main

reason for his failure in achieving political power is that sincere and honest

people don't take interest in politics as a result the majority of corrupt and

scoundrals contest the elections and become the members of the

parliaments.My advise to Imran is that he should carry on and time is the real

test.If a person can manage forged educational documents,than one can

expect any criminal act from that person.The majority of those who contested

elections and got elected are proven forgers.Imran khan should remember

that parliamentary democracy is a number game.When ever he had a big

number of these forgers and old political players,he will be a successful

politician.My advise to Imran is that militant religious tendency is equally

dangerous as the cancer of corruption in the society.These religious

extremists are giving a bad name to Pakistan and if they are succeeded to

corner Pakistan in isolation from the international community that will be a

great success for them which is their aim.They have a mind set to rule the

states and people by terrorizing them.

Bloody revoloutions are potentially around the corner when people loose

confidence in structures that support the socioeconomic order, hopelessness

invites radical change.What we see in Pakistan is rampant

corruption,increasing inflation and insecurity of life and property that push us

all to the wall. The majority of Pakistanis will be left with no choice but to

try a radical change.

Mr. Jinnah and Sir Syed Ahmad khan even had to face humiliation,insults

and fatwas against them. Ultimately Sir Syed Ahmad khan built Aligarh

University which produces scores of educated Muslims and Jinnah created

Pakistan all alone.Mr Jinnah played the key role in dividing the Muslims who

were living in India since centuries.Presently muslims live in four units

India,Pakistan,Bangladesh and Kashmir.Majority of Muslims still live in

India It was reported that Mr. Jinnah once said about his colleagues that he

had in his pocket valueless coins. It takes a lot of time for a nation to produce

33

a capable leader who can change the fate and destiny of the country.

Pakistanis love to live in denial. Their lives are built upon lies. Like an

alcoholic or drug addict who refuses to accept that he has a problem and he

needs treatment. Our problem is that we suffer from a collective chronic

inability to accept and digest the truth. We must admit that the militants and

terrorists that are fighting our army and the innocent citizens are Muslims

and trained and funded by our previous rulers for their personnel interests to

prolong their rule and to be used them in Kashmir and to gain strategic depth

into Afghanistan.

The battle of minds needs to be won before the monster of extremism can be

defeated and it can be won only when all the constituencies realize that their

real enemy resides within. This is very unfortunate that the religious leaders

still avoid condemning the atrocities of these militants who have made the

lives of common people miserable. They consider these jihadis useful in

achieving their political objectives. Some leaders publicly do condemn

militants but they entered into dubious peace deals with them without taking

the affected and local people into confidence.

Some people in Pakistan argue that the war on terror is not our war and the

present violence is in response to American presence in Afghanistan and

Pakistan. They also argue that the present increased intensity in violence is

the reaction of Pakistan military operation in Waziristan against the terrorists.

The same people also say that NATO forces should leave Afghanistan. Such

people argue and say that until the Americans don’t leave Afghanistan,

Pakistan will face this menace. In other words they support the barbarity of

terrorists on this pretext and they support this type of pressure on Pakistan

Army. They are still not convinced that Alquaida is an evil force.

In Pakistan there are still some religious leaders who don’t condemn

terrorism categorically as they have not been the direct victims.Terrorists

were slaughtering and lashing innocent men and women in swat and FATA

and making videos of such criminal acts to terrorize others, but these leaders

never condemn them .This is very unfortunate.

We must face the reality and that it is our war because we have shared

creating this monster with the international community and now it is the

responsibility of every one to share this burden with us. They must help us to

get rid of this monster.

They are the enemies of humanity, no one is safe in their presence, they

strike at their will, sparing no one, be it children, women or the elderly. We

must keep this in mind that their agenda is to rule Pakistan in their own way

and not according to Islamic teachings.They have already killed and

wounded about hundred thousand people upto 2012.

34

Pakistan is a parliamentary federation according to the 1973 constitution.

Federalism in Pakistan is a huge mess. Federal institutions have failed to

deliver ,people holding power at the centre do not allow federation to take

roots and prosper. The institutions in Pakistan are meant for rubber stamping

the decisions are made by the individuals or more suitably who ever hold

power in Islamabad. The federation in Pakistan is united by a rope of sand,

today we have a dysfunctional and artificial political system. Pakistan is

sliding into darkness. Common people believe that the root cause of all the

evils is rampant corruption and until and unless this evil is eliminated justice

can’t be done with the federating units and in the absence of justice

delivering good governance is impossible.

Strengthening Federalism in Pakistan is the need of the hour.

In the 18th constitutional amendment passed by the national assembly and

senate in the month of April 2010 ,the name of the NWFP has been changed

to Khyber Pukhtunkhwa.The fate of FATA(100 % Pukhtun population) and

other areas where Pukhtuns are in majority is still not decided, perhaps it will

take another 63 years. After renaming of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa a fresh debate

for more provinces with new names hase been intensified. I believe such a

demand is a democratic right of the people. A national consensus on this

issue will improve governance and strengthen the federation. I believe it’s

not anti Pakistan to change the name of your province, neither it is anti

Pakistani to want a new province.

The poor people of Pukhtunkhwa were expecting some thing good for them

in the 18th

amendment. The ruling ANP provincial government was asked to

declare tobacco a provincial subject, but as usual the Pukhtun leadership

remained silent on this important issue. The tobacco growers of Peshawar

valley are contributing Rupees 40 billion as central excise duty to the central

government.

People of Pukhtunkhwa are happy over getting the new name, they are

anxiously waiting for delivering good governance and making a corruption

free Pukhtunkhwa.They demand self respect and honorable living on their

soil.

The same constitutional amendment has also included a clause which has

exempted the party leaders from holding party elections which indeed sound

hypocritical.The clause of intra party elections was instituted by General

musharaf.Dictators wanting democratization of politics and democrats

wanting concentration of politics. What a paradox and what a joke with

35

democracy. The amendment has already been challenged in Pakistani courts

and if the Supreme Court did not strike this clause, the future leaders of the

political parties of Pakistan will only be the sons and daughters of the corrupt

leaders.

With reference to Baluchistan, I believe we must understand the seriousness

of the present situation and the cold war mentality must finish now. The

politics of non state actors must end. Baluchistan is in turmoil and is slipping

through our fingers. It is reported that the official figure of target killings

from July 2009 to June 2010 is 370,but other sources say the actual number

is around 600.One hundred thousand settlers have migrated from Baluchistan

according to interior minister statement on the floor of the Senate.

Baluchistan is the richest province with lot of natural resources and below

ground inexhaustible treasurers of minerals and precious metals.Baluchistan

hase a large area and a small population of almost 10 million. Violations of

human rights are a daily routine in Baluchistan. The Baluch insurgency is not

a bluff. It would be wrong to dismiss the Baluch nationalists as insignificant.

Mr. Akbar Bugti's murder was the beginning of the end.Mr Bugti was a

known pro federation and not a seperatist,and later on became a nationalist.

He remained a Governor, chief minister and federal minister.

Bught’s murder conveyed a very cruel message to other nationalists and that

is if they demand their rights in Pakistan, their end will be like Mr. Bugti.

This was reported that General Musharaf earlier warned Mr. Bugti that he

will not know what had hit him. There are much stronger and popular elderly

Baluch leaders like Khair Buksh Marri and Ataullah Mengal still alive, with

whom negotiations can be made and if they are no more, then it will be very

difficult to deal with the next generation. This is very unfortunate that

Pakistani rulers have pushed the Baluch nationalists against the wall.

A nationalist means who love his people, soil , culture and respect his/her

mother tongue

The hostility and distrust that has built has grown gradually, from year to

year and from decade to decade needs to be neutralized by accepting their

demands for the sake of the federation. Those who are involved in the murder

of Baluch leaders should be punished. Sincere efforts should be made to

convince the Baluchistan's youth to join the mainstream.

Peace and prosperity in the villages, cities and provinces of Pakistan mean a

prosperous Pakistan.

If some one demands promotion of his culture and mother tongue and

protection of basic human rights for his people,that does not mean he or she

36

is a traitor or a separatist.

The Baluch leaders are the real sons of the soil, they are not terrorists like

rich Arab Alquaida leaders who left their own countries and are exploiting

the poverty and religious tendency of others.

Sincere efforts should be made by the rulers to win the hearts of Baluchis to

save the federation and their genuine demands of provincial autonomy and

protection of basic human rights should be accepted by the rulers.

It is not just the issue of out standing dues on account of royalties which has

been a routine and is always a major concern in inter provincial relation ship.

Such tug of war exists also between Pukhtunkhwa and Federal government

over the royalty of hydel power generation and tobacco. Angry Baluchis says

that the Federal government played the role of a killer of their elders and

violators of their basic human rights. Akbar Bugti was mercilessly killed in a

cave on his own soil, Khair Buksh Marri's son and Ataullah mengals's son in

law were killed. Habib jalib Baluch was recently killed.

Yasser Arafat was a real Palestinian leader and distinguished son of the soil

through out his life he struggled for the liberation of Palestine and fought

against Israel in the battle field and on diplomatic fronts but even then he was

not killed by Israel and he died a natural death.

Baluchis say that it is the issue of honour,self respect and revenge. The basic

problem of Baluchistan could not be solved unless the issue of missing

persons is settled and their self respect is restored. The family of Nawab

Akbar bugti doesn’t even know whose coffin had been burried in the grave of

Akbar Bugti. The targeted killing of the ordinary Urdu and Punjabi speaking

and law enforcement agencies has been going on since the second major

operation was launched by the Army in 2004 following the killing of Akbar

khan bughti.Their had already been a surge in Baluch estrangement when the

first major operation was launched against the Marri and Mengal tribes back

in 1971.Pakistan Army should handle the Baluchistan issue on priority basis

and the Army professionalism and honor in Baluchistan must be restored.

The army people should take the Baluchis in confidence, they should be

involved in making the policies for Baluchis.

Baluchistan issue is not just about politics and terrorism. It is about the

37

governance, feelings of deprivation and exploitation.They should not be

pushed in a dead end street or against the wall,otherwise they may ask help

from the regional and international players.

As I have already stated earlier that we have been taught a distorted history. I

would like to give some references of a history book by the name of

‘Political Conspiracies in Pakistan’ published in 1969.No Pakistani states –

man has ever admitted that General Akbar Khan had led an invasion on

Kalat(Baluchistan) it says that under the agreement Pakistan recognizes Kalat

as an independent sovereign state with a status different from that of Indian

States. Khan of Kalat was forced to sign the document of accession.Genral

Akbar Khan led an invasion on Kalat during the month of Ramzan in

1948,Pakistan Air Force also bombed Kalat in this invasion.According to

General Akbar khan Mr. Jinnah was briefed by him on this invasion. Prince

Abdul Karim brother of Khan of Kalat was defeated and made prisioner.On

6th oct 1958 again Pakistan Army invaded this state when khan of kalat raised

the banner of revolt and declared independence after Pakistan government

merged the state with West Pakistan.Ayub Khan has mentioned this

incidence in his book.Khan of Kalat was deprived of all privileges and

distinctions. The Britishers were interested to keep Kalat as an independent

and sovereign state. The British Burma Oil Company played an important

role keeping the Kalat as sovereign state, as they had agreements with the

Khan.

According to Americans the Quetta shura of Taliban are responsible for

terrorist attacks on NATO forces in Afghanistan and Baluch Sunni militants

Jundullah is responsible for terrorist attacks in Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan are

based in Pakistani Baluchistan according to Iranians. I believe these are very

serious issues and must be addressed with sincerity on top priority.

I would like to give few examples that will prove how irresponsible the past

and present Pakistani rulers are. A former Pakistani president stated about a

sitting president that he is a criminal, fraud and third rater, the same sitting

president is reported in one of his statement that political agreements and

promises are not ‘Quran’s Ayaats so it has no value. Similarly once our top

leadership of the country was declared as security risk and surprisingly once

our top nuclear sciencetist came on the TV screen and apologized from the

nation for his misconduct and sharing nuclear secrets with other countries. I

believe that this behavior sent wrong signals of our conduct and trust to the

international community. Stories of Pakistani nuclear program are the head

lines of international media.

38

The apprehension of the West that the militants would grab Pakistan’s

nuclear weapons is very alarming, I believe we must satisfy the international

community that we are a responsible nation and we are capable enough to

protect our nuclear assets and we must provide the guarantees of it’s safety.

Our double standard past policy with reference to militancy and war on terror

in which the citizens of Pakistan suffered a lot also harmed our interests in

international community.

Mr. Jinnah or Mr. Rehmat Ali never said that (Pakistan ka matlab kia LA

ILLAHA ILLALALAH) or Pakistan will be the fort(Qila)of Islam. Mr.

Jinnah had in mind separate Muslim majority welfare, democratic and

progressive home land for the Muslims of India in which the rights of the

citizens will be safe guarded.

After the death of Mr. Jinnah the Muslim league leadership could not create a

progressive Pakistan. We should have been a progressive nation .we became

instead an out post of reactionary thinking. After creation of Pakistan we

wasted a lot of time in theological debates. Jinnah was an ailing person and

the people around him were men of straw.

Mr. Jinnah and his Muslim league believed that Muslims can’t live with huge

majority of Hindus in one country and other religious and political parties of

that period were of the view that Muslims can share one country with the

believers of other religions, this was simple as that, both sides had strong

arguments for and against the division of India. Interestingly the political and

religious parties who were against the division of India at that time gave too

many sacrifices for independence against the British rule as compared to the

Muslim league of Mr. Jinnah. The Indian national movement struggled for

the independence of united India from where as the Muslim league

movement for the creation of Pakistan was for the division of India.

One of the major concern of those who were against the division of India was

homelessness and bloodshed of refugees during the process of migration, this

concern was proved correct as a result almost one million Muslims, Sikhs

and Hindus were burned alive, slaughtered and killed in India and Pakistan.

My elders narrated the stories of how the Hindu men, women and children

were killed, their houses looted and their properties were burnt in my district

in Nowshera city and other Pakistani cities. People were uprooted from their

ancestral lands in Pakistan and India. It left a bitter legacy of hate.

I believe the monster of hate still rule both India and Pakistan. One can't

change his neighbor except eliminating and I doubt if Pakistan or

39

India(Nuclear States) have this type of agenda as they are capable of doing

that which will be very unfortunate and a slap on the face of humanity.

Those threatening and talking of Nuclear War are the enemies of humanity.

A nuclear device destroys every living creature on earth including plants,

birds and animals.

Pakistan and India are not living like good neighbours. They are alleged to be

involved in serious conspiracies against each other. There is great uneasiness

between Pakistan and India, each look with great suspicious the relation of

other with Afghanistan,Iran,USA and China. In the process of this enmity

and hatred both have become the most poor and miserable nuclear states.

In the last 65 years the selfish rulers of both the countries have exploited the

emotions of their people for their own political advancement and have led

their nations that does not serves the interests of the people. Our rulers have

prepared us for a wrong war which could destroy us even without fighting

one.

We must know that India is seven times bigger in territory and population

than Pakistan, and I believe, if Pakistan and India go for a nuclear war, India

will suffer too, but it will be a 100% disaster for Pakistan.

I don't agree with Dr.Qadeer khan interview reported in the daily ‘THE

NEWS’ in which he said that Pakistan could cause irreparable damage to

India in case of nuclear war. He said that India neither could cause damage to

Pakistan nor could destroy Lahore.

Pakistan was created with two wings called East Pakistan and West Pakistan

almost 2000 kilometer apart. A divide line was drawn dividing Kashmirs.In

1971 Bengalis said good bye to the West wing with a new name called

Bangladesh, again after a blood shed and a civil war and a full fledge war

between India and Pakistan, more than one hundred thousand soldiers and

government servants were made prisoners of war and remained for almost

two years in Indian prisons, my two cousins Maj Tehsin of Frontier Force

and Maj Mazhar of Armored Corps were among the POW's,Mazhar was

seriously wounded too.

India and Pakistan are the poorest nuclear states and presently are not on

talking terms. The blame game presently is also at the peak.

40

In my view both countries are leadership deficit, leader ship of both the

poorest nuclear states has thrown their citizens in extreme poverty and

ignorance. On a BBC channel I watched a program that in India poor parents

sell their daughters to prostitution dealers for just fifty to one hundred dollars

and there are 1.7 millions girls between the ages of 10 to 15 in the

prostitution market. In Pakistan for the same amount one can hire a

professional killer or a terrorist to plant a bomb in a market or a mosque and I

believe the prostitution ratio will be more or less the same.

Calling those as traitors and agents who were against the division of India

was one of the blunders committed by Pakistani rulers since they were great

freedom fighters against the Britishers and gave lot of sacrifices.

I wish that the Muslim leaguers and followers of Ghaffar khan and PPP

jiyalas and workers of the religious parties were following the foot steps of

their leaders as all of them were honest and sincere people but they are

heading in the opposite directions. All are busy in loot and plunder as if there

is no tomorrow. Bhutto’s Peoples party ended up with NRO leader ship.

The 65 pages UN report on Benazir’s murder case revealed that no serious

investigation has been done by both Musharaf and Zardari government. The

revelation in the UN report is that the follow up bomb and bulletproof

vehicle on the fateful evening was occupied by Mr. Rehman malik and Mr.

Babar Awan who left the accident site, abandoning Benazir in critical state.

All the occupants of this vehicle are the most powerful people in the present

PPP government and most trusted ministers and enjoy the confidence and

support of President Zardari.

The most alarming part of the UN report is that Pakistan Army has been

maligned deliberately in this report. The report established the Pakistan

Army high command and intelligence agencies and some political and top

bureaucrats accused of variety of crimes. Taliban connection is determined as

strategic assets for asserting Pakistan’s role in the region. It is determined

that Pakistan Army and ISI use and supported some Taliban groups and

specially laskar-e-Taiba for cross border terrorism. Pakistanis have a fear that

this report can be used against Pakistan in future.

It has become our culture that we define friendship by how much money our

friends are contributing to our begging bowl. It seems that the word ‘SELF

RESPECT’ don’t exists in the dictionary of our ruling elite class.

41

On august 14, 1947 we thought we got freedom, but actually in the last 65

years of so called independence we are made slaves of slaves. WHO DID

THIS TO US? The only answer is THAT OUR CORRUPT RULERS DID

THIS TO US. We have no more time to waste; we must root out and

eliminate this monster.

I believe only the introduction of a very harsh system of punishments can

cleanse Pakistani government structure of this systematic corruption.

By declaring the NRO (national reconciliation ordinance) null and void and

declaring it against the national interests on 16th December 2009, the

supreme court of Pakistan has established the writ of the law in a lawless

land. This order of the Supreme Court is like a fresh wind of fragrance over

this unfortunate land which has remained mired in loot and plunder for so

long that every one has forgotten how to live an honest Line.Mr was

promulgated by President Musharaf on October 5, 2007 exactly one day

before his presidential elections.

The lawyers community played a very important role to re established this

court that has passed this historic order. This order has also conveyed a

warning to those who are still busy in corrupt practices.

It is strongly believed that once these criminals and terrorists come to know

that no body is above law in this country and justice prevail in this country,

they will stop their criminal behavior.

We must use the weapons of justice, education and development on top

priority to eliminate the terrorism and other evils in our society.

The moral deprivation of the leaders who ruled Pakistan was never more

evident than it is now. I believe that supreme court of Pakistan must ensure

that justice is done and not only announced.

Chief justice Iftikhar chaudry has emerged as a candle of courage and a ray

of hope.

The Supreme Court took two major decisions on 28th April. The first decision

reversed the faulty and non transparent decision taken by the present

government to award the multibillion dollars LNG contract. The other

decision was declaring null and void the promotion of 54 bureaucrats to

grade 22 by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, terming it disregard of rules.

42

The people are not happy with the status quo and are desperate for

change.Zardari is off course an elected president by the assemblies members

with vested interests ,but he is not the representative of the people and people

know very well how some one get votes from the assembly members. It is a

fact that Zardari never commanded public support or confidence .Common

people are anxious to find an alternative they simply don't know what to do,

they don't see any one who could pull the nation out of the present crisis.

They don't have confidence in them selves; they were cheated several times

by their leaders.

The status quo suits to all the present politicians, majority of them are sharing

power with Zardari at federal and provincial level.Nawaz Muslim league is

ruling Punjab which is more than half of Pakistan and he is enjoying the most

power full post in the country after the president and prime minister and is

also waiting in line for third time prime minister ship.

Nawaz sharif seems very impressed with the life style of his former Arab

hosts. It seems that he would like to rule Pakistan as they govern the Holly

land.

It is really very unfortunate that our leaders don't read the writing on walls of

this poor country. The so-called leaders are so much intoxicated in power

game that they don't have any idea that we are headed to a total disaster, we

are headed in the wrong direction, people simply want a change, and people

need clean and effective governance that produces results and gives relief.

Pakistanis need self respect and two times affordable meals. Safety of life

and property is the concern of the common people. Pakistanis don’t have

more time to waste and they don’t care of any threat and derailment of

present so called democratic set up made by the thieves.

We hang our heads in shame due to the information released by Wikileaks in

December 2010 about Pakistani big wigs. The released cables proved that

Pakistani politicians and rulers are hypocrites, dirty and dangerous. These

cables proved that our so called leaders are extremely selfish and no one

looks about the interests of the country and they befooled Pakistanis in the

past and present.

43

Pukhtun Students Federation Pukhtun Students Federation was launched in 1968 by the nationalist minded

students at Islamia college premises in Peshawar University.Qasim Jan,

Matiullah Nashad,Naqib Jan, Nisar shinwari, Waheed khan, Baz Muhammad

and Adil Khattak were the founder members of PSF.I was a student of

Islamia College in 1969-70.

I met Afrasiab khattak in 1972/73 since then we were very close

friends.Afrasiab was studying law and master’s in English, and I was

studying in Edwards college and then Engineering in the University of

Peshawar. We were very active in students politics.Afrasiab was highly

respectable student leader of the early seventies, I was President of

Engineering college unit of PSF. Other activists and famous names in

students nationalist politics at that time were Ali khan Masud,Safdar khan,

Asad Afridi,Himayat Ulla khan, Bilal shah, Farkhanda jan, jehanzeb khattak,

liaqat khattak and Tariq Hameed.Safdar khan was the elected president of

Peshawar University Students union and Ali khan Masud,Asad Afridi and

Jehanzeb khattak were presidents of law college students union in different

sessions.All of them were very sincere and respectable students

representatives.

Student politics in those days were very clean and ideological and limited to

just meetings and students union elections. The bomb blast of 8th

Febuary,1974 in the History Department of Peshawar University in which

Hayat Khan Sherpao was killed and many students were seriously wounded

was the first of its kind. I was invited and present in that function. I along

with my friend Niaz khan toru was present at the time of the blast in the hall

on the first floor of the history department. Abdul Ali khan was the Vice

Chancellor of the University of Peshawar at that time, but he was not there at

the time of the blast. After this incident Abdul Ali khan was removed by the

Prime Minister Z.A Bhutto. Several students of PSF were arrested,

interrogated and some were even tortured by the police as initially police

thought that Pukhtun Students Federation was involved in that bomb blast.

My statement was also recorded in the police station.Afrasiab went under

44

ground after this incident. I met my friend Naqib Jan,a known student leader

in the police station of the University campus. He was in the police custody.

He was severely tortured by police, he showed me torture marks on his legs.

Later on it was reported that a student by the name of Amjid of district

Nowshera did this bomb blast, the bomb was concealed in a tape

recorder.Amjid did not belong to PSF and later on it was proved that PSF and

its leaders were not involved in the bomb blast which killed Hayat Khan

Sherpao.

Police once raided my room around midnight in hostel No.9 to apprehend

Afrasiab,but he had already left my room a few minutes before the police

raided my room,Abbas khan(SSP at that time and later on IG of the province)

was heading the police party. Abbas khan was so sure that he even opened

my cupboard for search and look under my bed as there was nothing else in

the hostel room.I remember he was very embarrassed and started irrelevant

questions.

Afrasiab was not only my friend but our political teacher too. After

completion of studies Afrasiab started active politics and I became involved

in my family construction business and agriculture. We remained in close

contact with each other and other friends of Pukhtun Students Federation.

Presently Safdar khan and Ali Khan Masud are settled in Germany.Safdar

khan married daughter of Afghan President Karmal and Ali Khan married a

German lady.

I learnt a lot from Afrasiab in my 35 years of association with him. I just

followed him. I was convinced that he was not like a typical politician and he

will deliver if he gets a chance to serve the poor people. I had great

confidence in him. He was a very good speaker. He led many historical anti

Bhutto student’s demonstrations. I remember how we disturbed once a

political rally of PPP which was addressed by Hayat Sherpao in Chowk

Yadgar Peshawar and once the address of Prime Minister Z.A Bhutto and

President Qadafi of Libya in the Peshawar university campus. In return we

got severe beating and lathi charge by police. In those days Afrasiab was

famous for his leftist and anti US views, anti US demonstrations was our

favorite activity.Afrasiab used to start his speech from the famous verse of

Allama Iqbal

JIS KHEET SE DEHKAN KO MAUSAR NA HO ROZI

US KHEET KE HAR KHOSHA I GANDM KO JALA DO

Afrasiab was imprisoned several times during Z.A Bhutto and General Zia

rule. He faced the famous Hyderabad tribunal with other leaders like Wali

Khan, Afzal Khan, Bizenjo, Khair bux Marri and Ataullah Mengal.Bhutto

put all these leaders in Hyderabad jail and when Zia took over he went to

45

meet Wali Khan in Hyderabad and honorably released all.

Afrasiab ultimately went in self exile to Afghanistan and then to Soviet

Union and East European countries. This whole exiled period was almost

For a decade.Afrasiab got married in Kabul with an Afghan lady .Mr and

Mrs. Dr. Najibullah President of Afghanistan was a close friend of

Afrasiab.Afrasiab told me that they arranged his marriage.

A book by the name 'out of Afghanistan’ by Diego cordovez says' that

Afrasiab khattak,a Pakistani communist leader who spent seven years in

Kabul as a political exile was familiar with Najibullah's thinking because

they were both Pukhtuns and worked together on day to day basis in shaping

Kabul's policies toward the Pukhtun tribes in Pakistan'.

After a long span of time I met Afrasiab Khattak in Jalalabad in January

1988, during the funeral of Bacha khan. I remember all our friends got very

emotional while meeting Afrasiab.

In 1986 I constructed my house in Islamabad and started living in the capital.

I kept busy myself in construction and other businesses. My friends like

Ghani khattak,Janisar,Adil,Sherdil,Fakhr-e-alam and Riffat khattak.who were

Islamabad based were founder members of a cultural society by the name of

Pukhtun cultural society Islamabad. I also joined them and since last many

years I am heading this society as its chairman. All our friends in this society

are literary people and I learned a lot from them.Ghani khattak is author of

many research books on the life and struggle of khushal khan khattak and

Bacha khan. All of them are staunch nationalist and have great love for their

soil and culture. They love to write and talk about their culture and national

heroes. Riffat Khattak is a reputable painter. I believe all of them are a

national asset. Every one in their individual capacity is contributing a lot. Jan

Nisar was awarded pride of performance by the President of Pakistan for his

services in Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, he is the only Pukhtun

engineer who received this highest award in this field.

I strongly believe that those who have love for their mother tongue will be

rewarded by ALLAH. If paradise is under mother’s feet, then one can

imagine that what will be the reward for the love and respect of mother

tongue and mother land.

WAI AKGHYAR CHE DA DOZAKH JABBA DA

ZA BA JANAT TA DA PUKHTU SARA ZAM

Hamza baba says that I will go to paradise as I love pukhtu. Pukhtu will not

be spoken in hell as my enemies say.

46

Pukhtun nationalist Parties

Muhammad Afzal khan,Afrasiab Khattak and Latif Afridi launched a new

political party by the name of Pukhtunkhwa Qaumi Party.PQP under the

leader ship of Afzal khan arranged the first one day conference against the

proposed construction of Kalabagh dam in 1992 in my district at Nowshera

stadium. At that time Afzal khan was deputy opposition leader in the

National Assembly.

Joining hands by these three stalwarts was initially considered a big political

force ,but later on it was proved to be a wrong decision and it was a disaster

for all the nationalists including ANP.

Afzal khan had won elections for National Assembly twice from his home

constituency of Swat in 1990 and 1993 and remained deputy opposition

leader with Benazir as opposition leader and contested elections for the prime

minister ship against Nawaz Sharif and then remained as Federal minister in

Benezir government. He also remained Federal minister in President Faruq

leghari interim government after Faruq leghari dismissed Benazir's

government and leveled serious corrruption charges on Benazir and her

husband Mr Zardari, the present President of Pakistan.

Situation became from bad to worst for all the nationalists including

ANP,PQP and (NAP)Ajmal Khattak's party. In 2002 there was not a single

MNA from these parties and only six or seven MPA's of ANP were elected

in Pukhtunkhwa assembly.Mehmud khan Achakzai of (PMAP) was the only

elected member of National Assembly representing the nationalists Pukhtuns

in the Federal parliament after 2002 elections. He played a very important

role and was liked by every one.

Pukhtuns rejected the nationalists’ parties and their leaders call of unity as

they were of the opinion that the leaders are not sincere in the unity of

47

Pukhtuns as they were not united them selves and scattered in different

parties. After 2002 elections we realized that the Pukhtun nationalists’

leadership must sit under one roof and on one platform. I played my sincere

role and did a lot of efforts in this regard. We did succeed to some extent as

majority of the nationalists re-joined ANP.

One important incident which I remember is that I accompanied Afzal khan

to meet President Ghulam Ishaque khan at the President house Islamabad, the

day he dismissed Nawaz Sharif government and resigned as the

President.Ghulam Ishaque addressed the nation on television around

midnight and announced this historical decision. We went to the President

house in the early morning and I believe we were the first visitors of that day

to the President house.Ghulam Ishaque khan was an old man but he was

looking very energetic, fresh and relaxed as nothing serious has been done. I

said to Ghulam Ishaque khan that he might be very tired because of the hectic

activity,meetings,address on TV etc and taking such a big and important

decision. He replied smilingly and said that he was very relaxed and very

happy that he relieved the nation of jaundice. He discussed in details about

the dismissal of Nawaz government and his resignation. He added that

Nawaz sharif was the most incompetent Prime Minister Pakistan ever had.

Afrasiab Khattak got involved himself in human rights activities and became

the chairman of HRCP.I used to accompany him to each and every activity of

HRCP in Islamabad and Peshawar. I love meeting Asma jehangir. I find her a

very brave woman.

After the disintegration of Soviet Union, I used to discuss with Afrasiab the

balance of power and interest of America in Pakistan and Afghanistan and

particularly Pukhtun belt in both the countries.Afrasiab always argued that

nuclear Pakistan with such a huge professional army is not acceptable to

international community including US, Europe, Israel and India. He used to

argue that nationalists Pukhtun and Baluch leader ship were actually beaten

in the past by the American hands in Pakistani branded gloves, since they

were in the Soviet camp. The balance of power has been changed, cold war

has been finished and as Soviet union is no more a threat to USA,so

Americans will be friendly with Pukhtuns and Baluch but the elections of

2002 gave totally a different results, the Pukhtun and Baluch nationalists

were kept out of power,Pukhtunkhwa and Baluchistan were handed over to

religious parties.It was all during General Musharaf rule.Afrasiab was of the

opinion that there will be more uncertainty, blood shed and destruction in the

coming years.

48

General Musharaf played and consolidated his job by bringing religious

parties in power in the provinces of Pukhtunkhwa and Baluchistan, and he

did all this for selfish reasons to prolong his rule and to put pressure on

Americans that religious parties are very power full in the two provinces of

Pakistan bordering Afghanistan and he was the only one who could deal and

control them. He was successful regarding this matter. Later on people

called(MMA) as Musharaf Mullah Alliance. General Musharaf really

damaged the reputation of Pakistan Army by aligning himself with the

mullahs. During Musharaf-Mullahs alliance the militants in Swat/Malakand

and FATA got enough strength and after Musharaf rule when Pakistan

Armed forces challenged the militants and started military operations against

them, they put tough resistance. The non Pukhtun Taliban nurtured by

General Zia and General Musharaf were active in Swat/Malakand and

FATA.

In 2003 Afrasiab,my self and other friends including Asad Afridi,Jamal

khan,Raza Khan and Abu bakr formed NDCP( National Democratic

Consultative Process) and held a launching ceremony of a book in Peshawar

by the name of 'PUKHTUNKHWA' a developmental frame work. All the

tables in this book are taken from this great research work by NDCP.

Historically the name Pukhtunkhwa is used for the entire Pukhtun inhabited

land,recently it is used to represent the Pukhtun dominated areas in Pakistan

and most recently it is used only for the NWFP.

Political parties of Pukhtunkhwa struggling for the rights of the province

could not articulate the national issues of Pukhtuns into a national policy

document, in this document we had made an attempt to look into the

problems of Pukhtun society rationally. The program discusses the

social,economic,political and cultural problems of Pukhtunkhwa and

suggested ways and means for socio economic development concurrent with

a political organization. This document provides a base line for initiating a

national Democratic consultative process to tap the wisdom and aspiration of

general Pukhtun population.

Today Pukhtun nation is faced with momentous challenges. We have been

used as a fuel for foreign rivalries.Pukhtuns must re define along sciencetifc

and modern democratic lines so that Pukhtun national interests could be

actualized in the best possible way.

49

One day Afrasiab asked me for my opinion about joining ANP.Being a

nationalist and son of the soil I agreed that it was a good decision. I told

Afrasiab that basically all of us want to serve our people in one way or

another so ANP would be the best platform as it is the party of Bacha

Khan.We had several meetings with our other friends in Peshawar and

Islamabad regarding joining of ANP. Afrasiab and Jamal Khan visited Quetta

also to meet friends.Our friends of the newly formed NDCP (National

Consultative Democratic Process) were the key advisors of Afrasiab.Majority

of them gave similar advice. After that Afrasiab and Wali khan met in Wali

bagh and ultimately we joined ANP in a function held at Bacha khan

markaz.As Wali khan was ill so he did not participate in the

function.Asfandyar khan and Nasim Wali khan were there.

Asfandyar khan in his speech particularly mentioned me and said that he was

grateful for my efforts and support and joining ANP.After joining ANP, I

started visiting Bacha Khan Markaz.Afrasiab used to sit at the markaz

regularly. Mrs.Wali khan was the provincial head of the party and Asfandyar

khan was the central president, the position he is holding till date (March

2012).

Before joining ANP I never thought that the party leadership is not true

followers of Bacha Khan political philosophy.

I observed that the Party did not look like a political party but a club of few

non serious persons. I said this even to Afrasiab.He told me that there will be

positive changes in near future and the party will be reformed, and once he

told me that he will be the next provincial head of the party.I was really

delighted hearing this, because I knew what does this meant in political

terms.I was of the opinion that Afrasiab will bring drastic changes in the

mismanaged party.

When ever I met Asfandyar I used to argue that unless and until Afzal Khan

Lala has not joined ANP, it will be extremely difficult for us to convince

common Pukhtuns that ANP represent all the Pukhtuns.I used to remind him

on regular basis that he must try his best to bring Khan Lala in the party fold.

One lucky day Afrasiab told me that Asfandyar khan had asked him that both

of us should visit Afzal Khan in Swat and formally invite him to join the

party.Afrasiab asked me to speak to Afzal Khan.I was in Islamabad and I

rang up khan Lala and asked him that should we come to Drushkhela for this

purpose. He said that his home is ours and we are most welcome.

50

Next day I left Islamabad.Afrasiab was in Peshawar, he joined me at

Nowshera and we continued our journey to Swat in my car. On this long

drive we discussed all issues very minutely, we were very optimistic about

our party future.

After about four hours drive we arrived at Afzal khan lala house at

Drushkhela.Khan Lala and his family members including col.Rtd Abdul

Ghaffar Khan, Abdul jabbar khan, Salauddin khan, Sattar khan and

Dr.Azeem khan warmly greeted us. We spent a night and had several

meetings discussing each and every aspect.Asfandyar khan and party

message was conveyed to Khan Lala and his family members.

We said to Khan Lala that party is there, dedicated workers are there but

there is lack of leadership in the party and common Pukhtuns are demanding

that Pukhtuns leadership should be united and sit on one platform and under

one flag. Khan Lala reply was straight and very simple; he said through out

his life, he has struggled for Pukhtun national unity. He said that if ANP

added the clause of Pukhtun National unity in party manifesto then there is

no reason of not joining ANP. He said that he don’t ask any thing for

himself.

We had a lunch a dinner and a breakfast in which delicious and well cooked

trout’s were served. Next day we left Swat for Peshawar. I was really very

happy. I thought that it will take a day or two and Khan Lala will join ANP

and his condition of adding the clause of ‘Pukhtun national unity to be

achieved through peaceful struggle’ will be immediately included in the party

manifesto.

It took more than a year, and there was no development with reference to

Khan Lala joining the party. There was complete silence, when ever I asked

Asfandyar or Afrasiab about this important matter, no one gave me any solid

reason for the delay. Till date I did not know whether it was because of

laziness or carelessness or it was because of some important people in the

party who did not want that Afzal Khan should join the party.

Ultimately after a long time, message was conveyed to Khan Lala that his pre

condition of including the clause of Pukhtun national unity in the party

manifesto for joining the party is accepted. In the mean while tragedy of Wali

khan death took place. Ultimately Afzal Khan joined the party in a function

held at Peshawar Press Club.

On this occasion Asfandyar khan said that Wali khan is no more among us

but Pukhtuns are lucky enough that they have Afzal khan amongst them. He

further added that Afzal khan is his ka ka (equaling to father).Khan Lala also

spoke on this occasion and after the formal speeches Asfandyar told me that

every one present over there were happy but I might be the happiest person.

51

I had never met begum Nasim wali khan. I had listened a lot about her. I

remember once Afrasiab rang me up from Peshawar and said that begum

Nasim is accompanying him and they are on the way to Islamabad to meet

Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the evening and I will be also joining

them in the meeting with President Karzai.They came to my house in

Islamabad, we had a lot of time to talk, we had lunch together.

As I was very much interested in Bacha khan life and struggle. I had read a

lot about Bacha Khan so I requested begum Wali khan to tell me some thing

about Bacha khan which people don’t know and is not in the books. She told

me that she believed that there is no such thing left about Bacha Khan which

is not in written form. Then she lovingly narrated how she used to knit Bacha

khan long sleeves woolen sweaters. Begum Nasim Wali Khan was the

provincial head of the party at that time.

In the evening we met President Hamid karzai.The Afghan president was

accompanied by his ministers including Abdullah, in the meeting we

discussed in depth the problems facing Pukhtuns/Afghans and its

solution.Karzai and Abdullah were both impressive personalities.

After few months there was a change in the party, Begum Nasim wali khan

was replaced and her most loyal man Mr.Farid Tufan was thrown out from

the party.Bashir bilour was made the acting provincial head of the party.

After few months Afrasiab was finally elected the provincial head of the

party with full support of Asfandyar khan.Bashir bilour was also a contender

but was told to stay in his limits.

Before elections 2008, I discussed the elections and its possible out come

with Afrasiab.I was in a mood to contest election and I discussed this with

Afrasiab, but I had already applied to perform Hajj, so I prefer to go for Hajj,

I along with my wife left for Hajj in December 2007.when we were back

from Hajj elections were to be held after few days but Benazir Bhutto was

assassinated and elections were postponed for a month.

During Hajj I used to call Afrasiab and Afzal Khan and offered duas and

special prayers for changing the miserable and poor condition of my nation.

While traveling from Mecca to Medina in a non ending desert, I said to my

wife that if we compare this country with ours, we will come to the

conclusion that Allah has gifted a paradise to us on this earth, but we have

made hell out of it.

I asked my wife to just close her eyes for a minute and think about

Swat,Kaghan,Naran,Galiat,Chitral,Hunza and Skardu.The beautiful forests

mountains and rivers on our soil .It really made me very depressed as I knew

52

what is coming up next on my soil and my people. Militancy in FATA and

Swat was already at the peak.

General Musharaf was at the helm of affairs and he had the support of many

religious leaders and politicians. Musharaf was ruling the country since 1999

and now he was involved in negotiations for extension in his rule under a

power sharing formula after Feb.2008 elections with new allies including

ANP through his trusted man Tariq Aziz and some times joining the talks

himself with Benazir in Dubai.

Muslim league of Gujarat’s chaudries and MQM were already his supporters.

I believe the post political and government structure was decided much

before the elections of 2008.

Once Afrasiab khattak and Ghazan(brother of CM Haider hoti) told me that I

should join them for a visit to Bacha khan grave in Jalalaabad. They told me

that they had a plan of building a great mausoleum including a library,

museum and a hostel with the help of Afghan government. I requested my

cousin, the famous and most senior architect in Pakistan Mr.vilayat khan to

help me in this regard. On 22 June 2006 I along with Afrasiab,

Ghazan,Vilayat khan, Ghazi khan and Rehman khan left Peshawar for Jalal

Abad( Ghazi and Rehman are my cousins) I really felt honored for doing this

effort.

At Torkham (Pak-Afghan border) we were received by Afghan officials. We

went straight to Jalal Abad and offered fateha at the mazar of the great

freedom fighter. The former Afghan president Dr. Najibullah has built a

concrete structure at the grave but was incomplete. We did the preliminary

work by taking all the dimensions and photographs of the existing building in

which Bacha khan used to live in self exile. This building was in a very bad

shape.

After completing our job at the tomb site, we had lunch with Afghan officials

and then we left for Kabul and spent three days in Kabul with my Afghan

friends Nusrat Ulla and khalid (son and nephew of Deen Muhamad Governor

of Kabul at that time). My friends proved to be excellent host, like great

Afghans. Khalid arranged and took us to the beautiful Salang valley and

historical fifty years old and seven kilometer long Salang tunnel which is

almost at four hours drive from Kabul. The roads were of best quality. We

ate the delicious trout fish on gushy river side in the valley. Nusrat and

Khalid took us to the best restaurants in Kabul. Afrasiab and Ghazan stayed

in Intercontinental hotel in Kabul and I along with my cousins stayed with

my host/friends at the Governor house.

53

We really enjoyed our stay in Kabul. I will always remember the hospitality

of my Afghan friends. I would like to share some political and tribal

background of my host’s family. Nusrat Ulla father deen Muhammad was the

governor of Kabul; he was the brother of hajji Qadeer and Abdul haq. Hajji

Qadeer was governor of Nanghar and was killed in power game and the on

going conflict in Afghanistan. Abdul Haq was killed by Taliban after 9/11

inside Afghanistan, when Taliban were still in power in Afghanistan and

Americans had not yet started their operation in Afghanistan. Abdul Haq had

left Peshawar for Afghanistan through Torkum , he lost the game. It was

believed that if he would have survived and not been killed, today he would

have been the highest authority in Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai crossed the

border through Chaman and he reached Kabul safely.

Back at Peshawar we had several meetings at Bacha Khan Markaz and

discussed the project of proposed construction at Jalalabad. Vilayat Khan

prepared drawings and sketches including 3-D drawings and these drawings

were given to them. After almost two months I was informed that

Asfandyar,Afrasiab and other leaders went to Jalalabad not informing me for

the formal opening ceremony of the project. I was informed that the drawings

and other material provided by us was just used for getting funds from some

where and after getting the funds no one took any interest in the project and

upto 2012 there is no construction activity at mausoleum.

54

KALABAGH DAM

Nature has blessed Pakistan with vast resources,sufficient enough to meet its

growing energy needs for next few decades. Pakistan’s hydroelectric

resources are unprecedented. The culprits behind Pakistan’s power crises are

the inept policies of the corrupt and inefficient successive rulers. Besides

Hyde electric Pakistan has many other energy options including

solar,wind,coal and nuclear but the Pakistani rulers have opted for rental

power plants. The present rulers even favored the promotion of these

infamous rental power plants over stabilization of the independent power

plants. If the IPP’s were stabilized through government actions the present

havoc of the power crisis would have never created.

The corrupt Pakistani rulers and government servants always tried to cover

their inefficiency under the slogan of Kalabagh Dam project.

Pakistan has installed capacity of generating only 19500 MW of

electricity.Hydel generation account for 8000 MW and thermal generation

account for 11000 MW.Pakistan faces shortage of about 4000MW to

5000MW.

The proposed Kalabagh Dam project has been rejected by IRSA(Indus River

System Authority) in 1996 and the technical reasons for the rejection were its

short life span and faulty design.

I contributed my efforts against the campaign Launched for the construction

of the controversial Kalabagh dam by General Musharaf. I participated in the

rallies, seminars and TV talk shows and wrote in the news papers about the

negative effects of this 260 feet high dam proposed on river Indus ,140 kilo

meter down stream of district Nowshera at Kalabagh in the province of

Punjab.

According to the design the tail of the reservoir is deep into my home district

Nowshera, near a town called Jehangira.I tried my best to educate and inform

the people and the media about the expert’s opinion about this project that it

is technically not a feasible and economically not a viable project.

My opinion about this dam is very clear, that a technically flawed and

infeasible project can’t be made feasible by lobbying and evolving

consensus. If Kalabagh dam project would have been controversial only

politically, then lobbying and evolving consensus would have made sense.

55

Reducing the height of the dam by 10 feet and deleting dyke walls which was

in the original design for the protection of Nowshera will not make this

project technically feasible, these changes have made the project more

controversial as this proved their were serious flaws in the basic design.

These changes were made when the people of Nowshera protested.

Those who support this project are totally wrong in claiming that this dam

will benefit the whole country, ofcourse the Kalabagh dam reservoir will

benefit some areas of Pakistan and will be a source of adding 2000 MW in

the national power system, but at what cost? Had this dam been constructed

,the magnitude of destruction in the province of Pukhtunkhwa due to recent

floods of July/August 2010 would have been beyond imagination. According

to survey reports about the devastation of these floods the province of

Pukhtunkhwa was the most affected province.

Kalabagh dam is a good slogan and topic for the corrupt rulers, politicians

and government servants for exploitation and to befool the common people.

Punjab province should realize that Pukhtunkhwa and Sind are two units of

the federation of Pakistan and Kalabagh dam is a controversial project for the

last two decades and will remain controversial till the Federation exists.

Instead of politics , technical approach should be adopted. It’s the

government job to find water and power from legal sources and for the

betterment of its citizens. Maximum benefit and minimum loss should be the

policy while proposing big water and power projects. In case of Kalabagh

dam it is vice versa.

The ruler’s incompetence, corruption, encouragement of theft and dishonesty

has complicated the power and water problem in Pakistan and presently the

whole nation is suffering and facing the curse of extended load shedding.

I have a strong belief that if Kalabagh dam is constructed, Peshawar valley

and particularly the densely populated district of Nowshera will be the worst

affected part of Pakistan. Peshawar valley is considered the food basket.

Besides a variety of fruits and vegetables other crops included wheat, corn

and sugar cane is grown abundantly in the valley. Rs 40 billion is contributed

annually as central excise duty to the Federal government by the tobacco

growers of Peshawar valley.

If this dam is build and floods ever occur in the River Kabul, the people of

Nowshera will meet a painful death.

The beautiful Peshawar valley will become severely water logged in a decade

or two. Blocking of sub surface drainage and impact of backwater effect will

56

ruin this beautiful valley. The people of other provinces must know that

Peshawar valley is almost at the same level as that of river Kabul. During

floods and monsoons rains and back water effect the whole valley will be

submerged. Kabul River is the only drainage outlet of the Peshawar valley

and the Attock gorge is just 1000 feet wide.

Peshawar valley has a history of devastating floods in the past since

1929.The recent monsoon torrential rains and flash floods in July/August

2010 were the worst floods in the living memory.It took more than 2000 lives

and dozens were reported injured and missing and millions were made

homeless. The flashed floods washed away roads and dozens of bridges and

damaged communication net works, besides damaging livestock, private

properties, standing crops and orchids.

Had the kalabagh Dam been constructed the quantum of devastation would

have been much bigger, particularly Peshawar valley would have been totally

destroyed.

The poor people are killed or declared missing and their houses are destroyed

but the incompetent rulers never thought of planning and managing to

provide some permanent solution like constructing of flood water storage

reservoirs,Dyke walls and widening of Attock Gorge and of course strict

laws for not allowing construction on the river banks.

Strict laws should be made that the politicians and government servants

should not take bribes or commissions in the projects like roads, bridges and

other flood control projects, because one of the main reason of failure of

these projects during floods is the poor quality of construction of these

projects.

KBD reservoir has minimum life as compared to other proposed storage

reservoirs, once this reservoir is silted up ,it will be disastrous for Peshawar

valley. It will almost stagnate the flow in River Kabul.

Sind province has their own reservations and grievances. They fear drought

and intrusion of sea and disappearing Thatta and Badin from the map. They

need enough water below Kotri to block sea intrusion and address

environmental issues. They give strong arguments to prove that there is

shortage of water in Indus and Pakistan is a water stress country. They have

lack of trust with Punjab and Federal government. Theft of water through

Chashma-Jehlum link canal is a serous allegation by Sind on Punjab.C-J link

canal is not a perennial canal, it could have water flow only if all water

accord requirements of canals on Indus and down stream Kotri requirement

met. The history of stealing of water through CJ Canal by Punjab is an old

57

story.

As per International conventions without approval of lower riparian, which in

this case was sindh,upstream canal and dams must be approved by them.

Engr. Shams ul mulk and Engr. Amir Muqam are the only two great

supporters and lobbyists of kalabagh dam from my province. Both of them

were rewarded by General Musharaf.Shams was made the interim chief

minister and Amir Muqam was made the federal minister. General Musharaf

befooled the people of Punjab and exploited Kalabagh dam’s slogan.

After 65 years of independence the present rulers are planning to get

electricity from rented power plants, any thing on rent means temporary

arrangements. Shame on those who ruled this country and who made policies

and remained heads of water and power authorities, I am of the view that the

only reason of load shedding is inefficiency and corruption. Those people are

responsible for shortage of power generation and load shedding whose mind

set is that if kalabagh dam is not constructed than a other dam will be

allowed to be built. Even thar coal project was scrapped by this strong lobby.

The Kalabagh Dam lovers should know that water and power energy crisis

could not be resolved only by construction of KB Dam.

According to a Chinese company feasibility report, 20000 MW and

according to a Pakistani scientist Mr. Samar 50000 MW electricity can be

produced from Thar coal, the world’s second biggest coal reserves in the

province of Sind.

In Pukhtunkhwa and Northern areas locations are already identified from

where we can produce 40000 mega watt electricity from run of river and

without making large dams. The lobbyists for kalabagh dam discouraged the

solar energy and wind energy projects.

We simply need the maximum use of our resources and this is possible only

if there is transparency and good governance, which is a rare commodity in

Pakistan.

Cheapest Power generation is from nuclear energy but their seems no

progress in this field. Pakistan is producing only up to 400MW,where as

India is producing 4000MW from nuclear energy.

According to a report by Dr A Q Khan Shenhua corp. of China agreed to

produce electricity from Thar coal reserves at the rate of 5.39 cents per unit

by the end of 2010 from the four power plants of 322 MW each but the

project did not materialize since there were no big cuts and commissions

58

involved and the project was dumped.

In my opinion if coal reserves did not exists in Pakistan and coal would have

been imported, power generation from imported coal would have started

much earlier. Our policy makers and corrupt rulers never approve a project

unless imports, kickbacks and commission are not invoved.Properties in

France, New York, Dubai, Malaysia and London is the weakness of Pakistani

rulers.

I have come to the conclusion that the people of Pukhtunkhwa and Sind

should not leave the issue of Kalabagh dam only to the politicians. I believe

with a price tag they will allow this bad dam to be built.

Instead of Politics ,technical approach should be adopted.

I would like to share the views of the TCWR(Technical committee on water

resources)headed by A.N.G Abbasi.The report says that Bhasha Dam site is

much better than Kalabagh Dam site. According to this report the choice for

a dam site is based on four principles and these are maximum storage

capacity, maximum power generation capacity, minimum cost and minimum

silting problem. The committee also approved Katzara Dam site as it meets

all these criteria.

The PCWR(Parliamentary committee on power resources)headed by Senator

Nisar Memon in their report stated that their was consensus among all the

members on the construction of Bhasha Dam project and KBD project

remained controvercial.The report said that Bhasha Dam had been declared

technically feasible by Wapda consultants.

With these findings ,I believe KBD project must be buried once and for all.

59

ELECTIONS 2008

In Pakistan the definition of a successful politician is getting into power and

than surviving through crooked and illegal means.

When elections of Feb.2008 were held, the results were not 100% as planned

by General Musharaf and his political colleagues. Instead of Gujarat's

Chaudries Muslim league, Nawaz Muslim league got the lead in Punjab,

which was a surprise for many; the rest of the results were according to the

plan. As negotiations were held between Benazir and Musharaf, Asif Ali

Zardari was no where at that time, so there were surprises for Musharaf by

Zardari too, who became the leader of PPP after the assassination of Benazir.

As a result today Zardari is sitting in the presidential palace and Musharaf is

living in self exile.

It was reported that according to the original deal between General Musharaf

and Benazir, General Musharaf would have been the President of Pakistan

and People's Party an ally in the post elections 2008 government, with an

added gift of NRO to PPP leadership. Benazir changed her attitude towards

establishment including General Musharaf after stepping on Pakistani soil.

After her assassination .Zardari became the self proclaimed leader of PPP.He

gave 21 guns salute and honorably send off General Musharaf from Pakistan.

For selfish reasons no one dare in the People’s party to ask about their

leader’s killers.

All gone with the wind. That was the story of intense struggle and the end of

the daughter of the East, who was the favorite child of Z.A Bhutto. The PPP

leaders have included her name in the list to be exploited, which is a typical

style of Pakistani politicians.

politics of changing faces has been completed The people voted for a change

in 2008 elections and in the process they got new rulers with new faces at

Federal and Provincial level. In Pukhtunkhwa the religious Parties were

replaced by nationalists and secular Parties.

As far as ANP victory in 2008 elections was concerned, it was 100%

according to the plan. Two provincial seats in Karachi and all provincial

seats in Malakand were given in a pre-election negotiation, as a result it is

heading the Pukhtunkhwa provincial government, and is allies in the Federal

government and sindh provincial government. Fazal Ur Rehman's party was

badly defeated, but according to the plan they are allies in the Federal

government.

60

Just after the formation of the Pukhtukhwa provincial government I advised

Afrasiab to publish a white paper about previous MMA incompetent

provincial government, that was my innocent advise. Later on I was told that

there is an understanding between the JUI of Maulana Fazal Ur Rehman and

the nationalist/secularists that corruption of previous MMA or present ANP

government will be never discussed in the public or on the floor of the

Assembly.

I came to the conclusion that after coming into power the political leaders’

need servants and not colleagues, friends or advisors. The leaders treat the

party workers as their personal servants.

The dilemma in Pakistan is that all so called leaders of the political parties

say that democracy is the best system, but no one is ready to introduce

democracy in their own political parties.They run the political parties like

joint family business. The political parties in Pakistan are like stagnant water,

which has now started smelling bad. The so called leaders do politics in

Pakistan and have bank accounts and properties abroad.

I remembered that I advised Asfandyar khan the next day after the

announcement of elections (2008) results that he should himself become the

chief minister and if there are some problems then Afrasiab should do the

job. This was my very honest advice. I informed Afrasiab also about my

views. I told them that I am saying this because I want that ANP government

should deliver and set an example of good governance. I told them that we

are not PPP, MMA or Muslim league, our elders have made commitments

with Pukhtun nation, we must honor all the commitments made by our elders.

I said this because in my view there would have been great difference if

Asfandyar or Afrasiab would them selves serving as chief minister. I did not

get a specific answer. Later on I came to know that the name of Haider as

chief minister was decided long before by the family and they did not share

this secret with colleagues in the party. Bashir Bilour was also a contender

for the post of chief minister, he did some lobbying too, but a shut up call

was conveyed to him.Bilours brothers were given ministerial jobs in the

Province and centre. They were never taken into confidence and were never

shared with party policies.

Analyzing the situation at that time, I was convinced that replacing of Begum

Nasim from the party leader ship was all a drama to give a new look to the

party. In this way sincere party workers were cheated. Old wine was served

in the new bottles by giving the impression to sincere party workers that it

was not the same ANP of the past. The ground reality was that the centre of

power remained the same and in the same old hands.

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Afrasiab on behalf of ANP played a major role in the pre elections

negotiations with all the major players.ANP leadership met with Americans

and General Musharaf front man; They met Altaf Husain and Benazir in

London.Afrasiab was quick to grasp the significance of the changes

occurring in Pakistani politics under General Musharaf and saw a chance to

take over from MMA in Pukhtunkhwa by getting in step with new

US/Musharaf/Benazir line.

In January, 2010 Afrasiab gave a statement which was the head lines of

several prestigious news papers that Taliban commander Wali urn Rehman

met journalists at the Frontier Corps fort in North Waziristan. This statement

conveyed a very bad message in the international community about Pakistan

Army. Next day in the Chief Minister House Peshawar in a press conference,

Asfandyar Khan in the presence of Afrasiab and other party leaders said that

Afrasiab’s statement was not correct, which meant that Afrasiab lied. I was

surprised that Afrasiab did not react and I did not understand till date that on

whose instructions he tried to maligned Pakistan Army and then why he

backed out, this attitude of Afrasiab was disliked by by me and his friends.

62

DEMOCRACY and CORRUPTION in PAKISTAN No political concept is more used and misused than that of democracy in

Pakistan, nearly every regime claimed to be democratic. But they doesn’t

even know the definition of democracy.

Democracy on its own is only a political concept but the men who have this

concept work maters,unfortunately in Pakistan the corrupt and land grabbers

call themselves democrats.

Democracy is a sacred word, but in Pakistan its thread is spun for different

purposes, it is never the majority rule or rule of the people in Pakistan. We

have always rigged elections with fake electoral lists and pre fabricated

election results. It has been proved in Pakistani courts that parliamentarians

submitted forged education documents in the election commission. Forgery

of educational documents is considered the job of a very mean person in a

civilized society. But in Pakistan we have the majority of such people in our

Parliaments.

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Misuse of power is very common in Pakistan and it is the quickest short cut

to money. In business one should have skill and experience. Investment, time

period and risks are the most important factors in doing business. But if one

does politics for the sake of business, then it is a very safe game. It needs

nothing else except getting more votes than your close rival candidate, may it

be less than 10% of the registered voters.

The present Pakistani rulers are on the spree to rob the country on a grand

scale. Besides other corrupt practices the elected members of the provincial

and National Assemblies are sold and resold several times like in the

Presidential election, leader of the house election and senate elections.

Taking bribes from the corrupt government servants against lucrative

postings and transfers by the politicians is a common practice.

In corrupt and in-efficient democracies like one in our country, the rich and

corrupt so called elected representative capture power and enjoy the fruits of

democracy and deprive their voters even of their self respect and honour. The

corrupt sell the democracy and their voters on daily basis in and outside the

parliaments. This is how the rich and corrupt became richer and the poor

became more and more miserable.

Pakistanis should be mentally prepared with such leadership which they have

created that one fine morning our leaders will say that like PIA,Pakistan steel

and Pakistan Railways the whole of Pakistan is a scrap and should be sold

out.

The difference between a magician and a politician is that a magician can

grow money by a secret trick which he call magic and a politician grow the

money by hook and crook and call it the beauty of democracy.

Check and balances of democratic system are entirely absent and non

existent. Politics is a sacred profession, but the Pakistani politicians have

made politics a dirty business. Democracy is much more than elections and

parliament. Democracy is based on equality. With out equality we cannot

have democracy. The corrupt politicians say that the worst democracy is

better than the best dictatorship. They think that they will convince the

common people by giving this argument as the ground reality is totally

different.

I believe honesty and sincerity are the basic factors for flourishing

democracy. If an elected member is living beyond his means, than it is a

straight case of corruption and abuse of power.

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An Asian Development Bank (ADB) report says that top politicians even

steal canal water through direct outlets which has virtually converted the

irrigated lands situated at tail-end of water courses into barren tracts. The

poor Pakistanis living either in urban or rural areas are the worst affected.

It is noticed that as a person’s position or status in politics or bureaucracy is

upgraded in Pakistan, his corrupt practices also increase.

Every year during the monsoon rains the poor people are affected, they are

displaced, their houses are destroyed and cattles killed but no body cares. The

protection and Dyke walls constructed to protect them from flood water are

usually burst or washed away because of poor quality of construction and

mismanagement. Almost 70% funds on such projects are pocketed by the

concerned people.

Earth quake and floods are natural disasters, but dying of people after these

disasters due to hunger and thirst, non availability of medicines and shelter is

the proof of irresponsible, in efficient and corrupt behavior of the rulers. It

was reported that the Pukhtunkhwa government did not even warn and

inform about the floods occurred in the first week of August 2010, which

killed around 1800 people.Pukhtunkhwa was the worst affected province.

The affected people lost every thing, they were made penniless, and their life

time savings and belongings were washed away.

Their is a proverb(Matal) in pukhtu which says that

'Cat became the chowkidar of the meat'

(Peesho da Qhwakhe sowkidara shwa)

Another proverb says that

'Black cannot be made white with soap'

(Toor pa sabun na pateegi)

After the formation of the secular and nationalist party government in the

province of Pukhtunkhwa after 2008 elections, surprises started pouring in.

My friends in the bureaucracy and in the party started telling me the stories

of incompetence, inefficiency and corruption. I was informed about the price

tags of different postings and transfers including patwari, tehsildar, jail

supertendent, police personnel, overseer, sdo’s, xen’s, doctors, school

teachers and of course some senior and hifi postings. I was informed about

huge commissions on contracts and construction projects, for these purpose

special agents were appointed. Few honest and senior government servants

who would have loved to serve the province were discouraged as a result

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they left the province.

My friends told me that nothing small or big at provincial level can be done

unless these agents are involved. I was told that some front men sitting in

Dubai are doing booming businesses. I have been told that some God fearing

people in the party objected on the corrupt practices of these agents, but they

were fully supported by the party leaders.

My friends say that the difference in MMA government and the secular party

government is that mullahs started corruption after one year and the

nationalists and secularists did not wait for a single day.

I remember the day when all the TV channels were showing the voting of the

presidential elections of Mr.Zardari inside the Pukhtunkhwa provincial

assembly hall. The way our members including the chief minister were

behaving in front of the TV cameras, showing the stamped ballot papers

(constitution requirement is a secret ballot) to the representative of Mr.

Zardari.I received several phone calls from the friends and colleagues in the

party protesting the party policy and UN constitutional act. I called Afrasiab

and asked that why our party parliamentarians disgraced us in this way. He

said that it was just the propaganda of the media. I was stunned on hearing

that. Later on I came to know that every member received a hefty amount

with the condition of showing the ballot paper. The private TV channels did a

great job by exposing this unconstitutional behavior of corrupt Pukhtun

parliamentarians.

Pakistan is a federation of four units in which Pukhtuns, Punjabis, Sindhi,

siraikis and Baluch live in four Provinces, besides this FATA inhabited by

100% Pukhtuns is managed by the federal government. We all live like

brothers living in a joint family home; when one brother does some thing

wrong the others taunt him. Our present Pukhtun leader ship has let us down

in the eyes of our other brothers because of their cowardice and corrupt acts.

The present Pukhtunkhwa government has been declared as the most corrupt

provincial government in Pakistan by the Transparency international.

According to Transparency International report (2010) there is 400%

increase in corruption.

A shared society and a welfare state was my dream for my people. I had a

vision of serving my poor, impoverish and miserable nation and a paradise

for them on this earth.

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I believe democracy does not mean loot and plunder. People of Pakistan gave

votes to the political parties not a license to loot and plunder for five years to

the party leaders.

Elections are considered as the beginning of democracy and not the end of

democracy. Fragile and corrupt democracy is more dangerous than

dictatorship as half truth is more dangerous than a straight lie.

More than four years has already been passed and people are fed up, enough

is enough, exit door must be shown to these corrupt and in- efficient rulers in

next election. Since day one their are stories of corruption and bad

governance of the present rulers but now the state has completely lost its writ

and the citizens had been left at the mercy of kidnappers and criminals.

Two vice-chancellors were kidnapped and another was assassinated but the

rulers were unmoved and busy in minting money, kidnapping for ransom is a

routine in the province of Pukhtunkhwa.

There are millions of people like me in Pakistan who voted for a change in

Feb.2008 elections, but were actually robbed by the leaders. We must defeat

those who don’t believe in justice and are politically corrupt.

We have a choice to keep silent and close our eyes and stop thinking about

what these so called leaders are doing or we should stand up against them

and say ‘NO MORE” to these corrupt leaders.

If a thief succeeds in entering a house for robbery with the help and support

of the servants of that house and he is caught red handed by the owners of

that house, he will be definitely be beaten and handed over to the police. The

thief will never be allowed to continue the robbery on the plea that he has the

support of the servants and that he has made much effort in entering the

house.

DA ZAALIM LAAS CHE MATAWAALAY NA SHAM

ZAMA DA KHPALA ZAANA KRAKA OSHI

(I have a feeling of hatred of myself, when I can’t stand against injustice)

There are numerous allegations of corruption and in competency against the

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present rulers as there is no transparency in important government decisions.

The culture of land grabbing by corrupt politicians and government servants

with hand in glove with the officials of the revenue and police departments

must be checked and stop immediately and those who did this serious crime

must be punished. In the rural areas such crimes are the daily routine by these

corrupt. They grab or they buy in return of peanuts the shamilaat land which

actually belong to the poor village people and in some cases the poor people

are forced to sell their lands as they did not have proper documents and are

afraid of courts and police procedures. A bird in hand is better than two in a

bush, and this is how the poor becomes poorer and the rich becomes richer.

These corrupt rulers and sharks want to loot the wealth and drive the poor

people to further impoverishment. In urban areas the government land is

usually the target of these corrupt land hunters. The old, widowed, orphaned

and the weak are usually their targets. I have been told that in Peshawar the

land mafia supported by the provincial government even grabbed the

property of Afghanistan Government in the year 2009/2010.

The ECC (economic committee of the cabinet) is a committee of thorough

professionals, it recommendations were over ruled and sabotaged by the

cabinet regarding sugar and rented power plants. This is a very serious matter

and it should be immediately investigated and the culprits should be shown

door. Why the present rulers opted for the last option of expensive way of

power generation.

Pakistan is very close to economic collapse. I appeal to the economic experts

and men of integrity to come forward and save the country from total

collapse.PIA, Pakistan Railways, Karachi steel mill and HSBC are already

confirmed technically bankrupt. There is shortage of electricity, shortage of

water, shortage of gas, shortage of flour and sugar.Rs 60 billion loans from

banks have been writen off. The stories of corruption in TCP (Trading

Corporation of Pakistan), Sui Northern Gas, land allotment in KPT (Karachi

port trust) Rs 9 billion fraud in bank of Punjab and Mehran Bank scandal are

in the media. Other government departments notorious for corruption, scams

and massive irregularities are Wapda, Pakistan steel, Trade Development

Authority of Pakistan,EOB,PIA,Rental Power Plants,KESC,NIC(National

Insurance corporation),PSO,PEPCO,CDA,DHA,DP division, Ministry of

commerce and trade and NBP and many other organizations.

Transparency international of Pakistan ranked Pakistan 42 nd among the

world’s most corrupt countries.Police,wapda,Revenue and customs are

named the most corrupt government departments.

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The most hot news on the electronic media is that Pakistani land is for sale or

rent to some Arab countries. According to the reports the ruling elite is

negotiating half a million acres land of our four provinces on lease to some

Arab countries. The political and religious parties are strangely mum on the

ongoing negotiations and it can only be because of greasing of palms of these

corrupt leaders. No body cares that our own people are starving to death and

the foreigners will reap profits and accumulate increase political clout.

Pakistan is still lucky enough that its two pillars that are the Supreme Court

and the armed forces are intact and powerful enough to hold its structure.

Print and electronic media is also playing a very positive and effective role.

The people of Pakistan are looking forward to the Chief justice, Military

Commanders and the Electronic media to save Pakistan.

The political leaders should be asked to reform their parties and introduce

democratic culture in their parties, a strong and independent election

commission should be formulated having strict elections laws so that no

corrupt politician should ever contest the elections. The politicians should be

asked to declare their bank accounts and properties inside the country and

abroad

The funds generated should be spent on the welfare of the internally

displaced people to win the hearts and minds of these poor affected people. I

believe this is one of their political responsibilities.

We have been made a beggar nation by our corrupt and incompetent rulers.

Pakistan needs a leader at this critical period of our history. We have no

choice left but to win this war on terror and defeat the militancy. This is a

war forced upon us by them.

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Pukhtuns and International community

The Pukhtun dominated areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan are in turmoil for

a long time and the situation is deteriorating day by day. The Provinces of

Pukhtunkhwa, Baluchistan and FATA in Pakistan and southern and eastern

Afghanistan are inhabited by Pukhtuns.The same area is also the focal point

of war on terror. After 9/11 their was a perception in America and Europe

that terror activities against their countries were planned on Pukhtun soil by

Alqaida dominated by Arab terrorists.Americans believe that the Pukhtun

soil is the epicenter of terrorism and unless Al-Quaida safe havens located on

Pukhtun soil are destroyed, the network cannot be smashed and their people

can’t be safe. The foremost item on the national security policy agenda of

America is to defeat and dismantle Al-Quaida and its affiliates.

All the terrorists involved in 9/11 were Arab nationals and non of them was

an Afghan/Pukhtun.

The Afghans and Pukhtuns are absolutely one and same people, who through

the ups and down of history, have acquired two separate names.

Forty eight different nations including America, UK, Germany, Canada,

France, Italy and Poland have sent 131,730 soldiers to serve in Afghanistan

under ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) and its allies. More

than two thirds of the foreign troops are Americans

America is a sole super power and the biggest economy of the world, having

its economy and defense budget alone more than the combine military

budgets of all the countries of the world.Pukhtuns are an impoverished nation

stuck in a geopolitical quagmire for decades. It is our misfortune to be

located at a highly sensitive geopolitical location which has made our land a

target for manipulation by the super powers and the neighboring

countries.Pukhtuns are considered born fighters, they need less training in

fighting skills but need more training in discipline.

The entire Pukhtun nation, on the average, lives below the poverty line. If

poverty line is equal to the earning of one US dollar per person per day then

the average per person GDP of Pukhtuns is far below this amount.Pukhtuns

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are too poor compared to their human and natural resources. Per capita GDP

of Pukhtunkhwa range from Dollar 180 to 235.The per capita GDP in

Pakistan is dollars 472.Pukhtuns in Afghanistan are also the most poorest.

The government of Pakistan receives maximum aid and support from

America for the war on terror. This war on terror has comparatively brought

more miseries on Pukhtun soil as it is bordering Afghanistan and the front

region against the war on terror. Common Pukhtuns think that presently they

have been sandwiched between Alqaida and American war on terror.

Common Pukhtuns says that the foreigner fighters were brought to their soil

by International community and now it is the responsibility to deal with them

,they were never the guests of Pukhtuns.

To defeat the Red Army in Afghanistan and push back communism in

1980’s, international community offered every possible support. Arab

countries and individuals considering their religious obligation to assist and

support mujahideen.The seven Jihadi groups of Afghanistan and Religious

parties of Pakistan had their head quarters and training camps in Pakistan, all

the money and war machines were sent to them through Pakistan. Arabs and

central Asian individuals were motivated to physically take part in the war

against the Soviet and Afghan forces. Those Arab and central Asian

individuals are now Alquaida. Presently Alquaida is enemy No. one of US. It

is reported that rich Arabs and others who wanted the US to leave this region

are still supporting Alquaida and their sister militant organizations in

Pakistan and Afghanistan.

When the Soviet Union pulled its forces out of Afghanistan. The American

media had a simple explanation that 'Soviet troops had been hounded out of

the mountains by U.S armed guerrillas’. When the last soviet tank left

Afghanistan on jan.15, 1989. The message was conveyed by CIA that We

Won (WW)

Mujahideen and Arab guerrillas were considered the best equipped

(including US stinger missiles technology) guerrilla force in the world.

Stinger was the decisive weapon which defeated the soviet troops in

Afghanistan.

Pukhtuns have solid reasons to believe that non Pukhtun trainers and masters

of the militants are the enemies of their culture and civilization.Pukhtuns are

basically peaceful and cultural people, historically rich in traditions. It is in

fact a political construct that Pukhtuns are depicted as terrorists.

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During the soviet occupation of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989 the Pukhtun

belt in Pakistan was converted into a training camp and sanctuary of

militants, created by USA, Europe and all the Arab countries, including Iran

and Pakistan.

Thousands of religious schools were built on Pukhtun soil for the sole

purpose of producing a force of fanatics young boys who could fight against

the soviet army in Afghanistan using the name of religion. The religious

schools built before the invasion of soviet forces or after the creation of

Pakistan were genuine teaching and learning institutes. Their was nothing

wrong in the syllabus of these institutions. The teachers in these madrassas

were pious and honest people.

The international community and the present lot of selfish religious leaders

destroyed these great institution of learning religion by changing the syllabus

and teaching the students only about killing and slaughtering in the name of

religion as a result the students were made the killing machines to kill any

one who refuse to follow them. These youngsters were given the sacred name

of Taliban.

The word Taliban is an ancient Pukhtu word used for religion learning

students. In Pukhtun culture talib means student of religion learning. The real

Taliban were actually very simple and pious Pukhtuns, they are still part of

our culture, and they are only interested in studying religion. Real Taliban are

integral part of Pukhtun society, they are actually studying QURAN (Words

of Allah) and AHADIS (Words of Prophet Muhammad), after passing out

from madrassas they are appointed as Prayer leaders in the mosque or Islamic

teachers in the government or private schools.

Words of Allah(QURAN) and words of Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) are a

treasure for all human beings, it is sincerely suggested to every Muslim and

non Muslim to study or have some lessons from religious scholars only about

the rights of neighbors with reference to the words of Allah and

Muhammad(PBUH).

If some one have a little more time to learn than one should study about the

rights of orphans and the reward to those who help the orphans with

reference to the words of Allah and words of prophet. Prophet Muhammad

(Peace Be upon Him) says that who helped orphans in this world will be in

the paradise standing beside him.

Militant Talibaan are the creators of the Pakistani/Punjabi establishment and

the foreigners religious extremists militants are the gifts of the international

community to Pukhtun nation as a reward for defeating the Soviet army in

Afghanistan.Pukhtuns are peace loving people and believed in non-violence.

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Fanatic’s individuals and religious parties were financed by the international

community during the occupation of Afghanistan by Soviet forces. Their

leaders were treated as VVIPs in the White House and other palaces around

the world including the Arab world, Islamabad and Tehran.

In the history of Pukhtuns one could find so many examples of Pukhtuns

bravery, courage and resistance. In the same history books there are so many

examples of corrupt Pukhtuns who sold them selves and their people for a

ray of power and few millions. This practice is still going on.

British Governor Cunningham says in his diaries that he purchased many

Pukhtun Pirs, Khan Bahadurs, Nawabs, Khawaneens and Mullahs, some on

monthly basis and some on yearly basis and some on lump sum basis,

Properties and agriculture lands were given to few. He says that it was

difficult for him to purchase Mullah Powindah and Hajji Sahib of

Taurangzai.Later on Cunningham says that it was easy to purchase Fazal Din

son of Mullah Powindah and Bacha Gul son of Hajji Sahib of Taurangzai.

In the same way King Aurangzeb the Moughal emperor could not defeat or

purchased the great Pukhtun warrior leader Khushal Khan Khattak but they

made a deal and purchased almost all his sons and grand sons, the famous

included Ashraf khan and Behram Khan and grand son Mukaram Khan.

There were so many un known Khudai Khitmatgars who did not made any

deal with the Britishers.They were tortured in custody and their properties

were confiscated, but they remained loyal to the freedom movement.

I believe the events of history is repeating .To day the sons and grand sons of

great religious and political leaders are selling the religious and political

philosophies of their fore fathers.

During Taliban rule in Afghanistan, Foreigners and non Pukhtuns played the

role of a demolition squad of Afghan/Pukhtun culture. They did great harm

to Afghan/Pukhtun cultural fabric and heritage. They did not even spare

Bamiyan statues. Recently they bombed and destroyed the grave and

mausoleum of the famous Pukhtun Sufi Poet Rehman baba in district

Peshawar of Pukhtunkhwa.

Rehman baba rules the hearts of Pukhtuns by his poetry. He is considered a

symbol of Pukhtun culture.

Rehman Baba died in 1706 AD. his poetry is very popular amongst

Pukhtuns.He was a great teacher.Rehman Baba said that sow the seeds of

flowers so as to transform the place into a rose garden. Refrain from planting

thorns lest it may prick your own feet.Rehman Baba poetry makes us wiser

and better by continuously revealing truth, stressing upon moral values,

character building and projecting honesty. Love according to Rehman Baba

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is the noblest gift of nature. He says that it is better to suffer like an iron plate

on fire than live shamelessly and in disgrace. Self respect according to

Rehman Baba is the noblest garment with which an individual can clothe his

honor.

A force by the name of Taliban was created and sent to Afghanistan in the

early nineties during Benazir Government under the leader ship of

Retd.General Naseer Ulla Babar.

This was also a tragedy that this force was named Taliban by the Pakistani

establishment.

Afghanistan at that time was ruled by the Mujahideen war lords, who were

created, trained and financed earlier by Pakistan and International community

to fight against the Red Army.

Afghanistan and particularly the Pukhtun belt of Afghanistan at that time was

in such a bad shape that Taliban got the control of almost 90% Afghanistan

without any resistance in just a few days with the support of local Pukhtun

population, as Afghan Taliban were Pukhtuns so poor and common Pukhtun

population thought that they would get rid of the war lords (Mujahideen

Commanders) atrocities and law less ness and Taliban will bring peace and

prosperity on their soil. That proved to be totally wrong as it was found out

that Afghan/Pukhtun Taliban were not the real and actual power controlling

authority. The actual power centre were Arab Alquaida and other Punjabi and

non Pukhtun Taliban who had a different agenda and that was the reason that

conquering the remaining 10% Afghanistan(controlled by non Pukhtuns

Northern Alliance) remained a dream of Alquaida and Taliban in their four

years rule. That proved also that Taliban were not strong enough with out the

support of Pukhtun population.

Sir Olaf Caroe and other famous western writers who wrote books about

Pukhtuns/Afghans were of the view that to defeat Soviet Union it was a must

to direct the national interests and national emotions/feelings of Pukhtuns

against the Soviet Union. But the ground reality was that the whole world

exploited the illetracy, poverty and religious tendency of the poor, simple and

unemployed pukhtuns against the Soviet Union. The religious leaders played

a shameful role.

The Americans defeated the Soviets in Afghanistan. One million pukhtuns

were killed and handicapped and five millions were made refugees and

homeless for more than three decades. After the withdrawl of soviet troops

from Afghanistan, Pukhtuns were abandoned by international players leaving

behind thousands of trained Arabs and central Asian fighters on Pukhtun soil

in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

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Taliban ultimately captured Kabul on September 27, 1996 defeating the

mujahideen and jehadis commanders. The first thing these Taliban did was

that they executed former Pukhtun Afghanistan President Dr.Najeeb-ullah

who was in protection at UN office in Kabul. His dead body was humiliated

and hung by a pole in central Kabul. The killing and humiliation of

Dr.Najeeb was considered a big victory and most joyous event for many in

Pakistan and was celebrated by his enemies.

Pukhtuns believe that killing of Dr.Najeeb was never the agenda of any

Afghan/Pukhtun and that’s why he was protected in the UN office Kabul and

never harmed through out the civil war and the rule of different Afghan

jihadi leaders in Kabul. It is believed that non Afghans and more precisely

Punjabi Taliban were involved in killing of the former Pukhtun President of

Afghanistan. The international community and Afghanistan’s neighboring

states played a major role in destabilizing and making Afghanistan a terrible

and unmanageable state.

Common Pukhtuns believe that Pakistan deserved where it stands today

exactly. There is a quote of a book(Silent Soldier: the man behind the Afghan

jehad) authored by Brigadier Mohammad Yousuf that the favorite expression

of General Akhtar(Head of ISI from 1979 to 1988)used to be when

addressing the mujahideen leaders was’ KABUL MUST BURN’. According

to the author Akhtar's great ambition was to visit Kabul and offer special

prayers to ALLAH for freeing the city from his enemies (USSR).Akhtar was

from Jullunder (India) of East Punjab. The author says that few people in

Pakistan and US knew of the close working relationship that developed

between Akhtar and director of the CIA William Casey and it was a great

blow to the Jihad when Casey died.

On 17 Th August 1988, General Zia along with General Akhtar, American

Ambassador and eighteen other senior most generals were killed in an air

crash established as sabotage. At a stroke all the architects of jihad were

wiped out.

Till date the death of General Zia and his colleagues remain a mystery as no

one including Pakistan and USA were interested to find the actual actors

behind this sabotage.

The Geneva Accord was to be implemented on 15th May 1988 and according

to this Accord the Soviet troops withdrawal from Afghanistan was to be

completed in nine months period. The Geneva accord was considered one of

the greatest events in the history; neither Soviet Union nor USA wanted to

spoil it in any case. It was already decided by the two super powers that the

withdrawal of all the soviet troops from Afghanistan would be the beginning

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of an entirely different relationship and they had already started trusting each

other.

Mr. Diego Cordovez the UN mediator write in his book’ out of Afghanistan’

that as relations between the USA and Soviet Union seemed to improve, and

as the prospects of Afghanistan settlement seemed to increase, Islamabad

became anxious and restless, particularly when it realized that Washington

felt that Pakistan's usefulness as an entrepot for rebel arms, and as a bulwark

against any further Soviet advance, was likely to diminish.Mr. Cordovez says

that Pakistan was looking for ways to prolong the negotiations but the soviets

and Americans were very serious about the withdrawal for which the

political efforts had started in 1982.

What we sow, so shall we reap. It is difficult to dismount from a raging tiger,

one is likely to be mauled and that is exactly what is presently going on in

Pakistan.

When Afghanistan was burning during the soviet occupation and after that

during the civil war between the mujahideen leaders and then the so called

peaceful atmosphere (like the peace at the grave yard) during Taliban rule,

the Pakistani establishment was very proud and considered that as their

victory. They were proud to be called the architects of the Afghan Jihad.

Today Pakistan is going through the same process which our rulers and

policy makers and so called jehadi architects had designed for Afghanistan.

Today Pakistan is burning and my home Pukhtunkhwa province bleeds

continuously.

Kabul is still burning; we have not learned any lesson from the history. The

Jehadi architects and their families are enjoying all the comforts and luxuries

of life. They have properties and businesses around the world. In the name of

religion and national solidarity they have committed lot of sins and crimes

against Afghans/Pukhtuns.

Pukhtuns are not happy with international community policies with reference

to their soil. Common Pukhtuns are being killed in the cross fire and in

collateral damages by Drones attacks. Pakistani leaders and their agents have

made millions in the line of fire.Pukhtuns demand that they should be given

special incentives to make up for years lost in the war against the soviet

union and the war on terror. The international community should make

special efforts to integrate these areas in the global economy reducing

poverty and creating meaningful employment as early as possible. The

International community for their selfish reasons has turned the economy of

Pukhtunkhwa and FATA as war and drugs based economy, which was earlier

agriculture,forests,tourisim,transport,trade,hydel,precious stones and

minerals based.

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Special assistance should be provided by US and international community to

be spent on these areas. Billions of dollars come into Pakistan, it is either

spend into other parts of the country or goes straight back out again into the

bank accounts of the corrupt politicians and government servants, almost no

money reaches to poor Pukhtuns.As there are no laws to check the loot and

plunder going on, our rulers have made us beggars. According to

Transparency international report Pakistan stands at 42nd

in the list of corrupt

nations, and the present Pukhtunkhwa government stands the most corrupt

provincial government in Pakistan.

Since the independence of Pakistan, United States and other wealthy

countries have given billions of dollars to the government of Pakistan and

non government organizations and religious/ jihadi parties particularly during

the soviet occupation of Afghanistan and current period of war on terror.

Since 2001 alone the united states gave 15 billion dollars to General

Musharaf.What ever Musharaf did with this money the poor Pukhtuns have

yet to know, they see no security or welfare related betterment in their daily

lives. Only the corrupt rulers are benefited instead of the poor people.

Any future non military aid to Pakistan must be only in the form of people

centered projects like schools,colleges,universities.basic health units,

hospitals and housing projects for the poor. The government may be

consulted for the locations and other requirements of these projects but their

completion must be done through honest professional and local people

keeping our corrupt bureaucracy and religious/political leaders out. It is a

common belief that if the Americans have any chance of winning this war,

they have to win the hearts of Pukhtuns.

Few suggestions are given below to win the hearts and minds of the most

affected poor Pukhtuns,who were humiliated and displaced several times by

friends and foes. A long term solution to defeating militancy lies in socio

economic development of their areas.

United States should help poor Pukhtuns in a way that Pukhtuns should know

how the funds provided by US are being spent. The civil society and

professionals from local population should be engaged and involved in

monitoring the use of funds. If possible the present judiciary should also be

engaged. Repeating past mistakes by US must be avoided. The funds

previously given by USA were spent to enrich the corrupt elite. The corrupt

Pakistani rulers don't believe in rule of law, transparency and accountability.

America should stand by the forces of law in Pakistan. Fortunately for the

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first time in the history of Pakistan, the Supreme Court of Pakistan is playing

a very important role as check on government excess and rampant corruption.

Our rulers are corrupt to the extent that they made mockery of the law and

judgments of the Supreme Court. The court observed that the government is

not sincere to implement the court’s orders in letter and spirit.

A standardized education system can alleviate the grievenences of poor

people who have no choice other than sending their kids to madrassas.At

least one hundred students from each district and each agency from

Pukhtunkhwa and FATA should be sent to foreign universities on scholar

ships each year. Free and compulsory education for both boys and girls up to

matric should be made the law of the land.

The only source of income of the people of Malakand,Swat,Chitral and

FATA was from tourism, agriculture, transportation and minerals exploration

and particularly marble exploration. These sectors are totally destroyed.

Investments in these sectors should be arranged on priority basis.

Reconstruction and development in Pukhtunkhwa and FATA should be

controlled and managed by honest professionals involving local population

and not by the present corrupt rulers and government departments in which

almost 50% amount is pocketed as commissions etc.

Funds and expertise be provided on war footings basis in the sectors of hydel

power generation and mineral exploration. Almost twenty locations have

been identified from where we can get thirty thousand mega watt electricity.

Cheap electricity will attract investment and technology.

Pukhtunkhwa and FATA possess huge marble reserves, almost about 98% of

the total 300 billion tons reserves in Pakistan. The promotion and

development of marble industry could bring prosperity and development. It is

worth mentioning that almost 90% marble is wasted because of obsolete

blasting methods used for marble exploration. Use of latest and state of the

art machinery for extracting and polishing the marble with provision of soft

loans to the potential investors in this particular field is recommended. I

believe if these two sectors are developed, it will bring prosperity to the

people of these areas and Pakistan. The global trade in marble and granite

was estimated at 45 billion dollars, where as last year marble export from

Pakistan was only 33 million dollars.

Poverty being the mother of all ills,militancy,lawless ness and crime rate

would increase more and more if USA,United Nations and other wealthy and

developed countries and organizations did not address the core issues of

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hunger and poverty.

So far no practical efforts have been made for eradication of poverty in the

affected Pukhtun areas.

The conflict in Afghanistan is still very complicated. The players of this

conflict don't trust each other. There is extremely shocking picture of this

conflict, because of the double standards and prejudices of the players. There

is huge trust deficit even between US and Pakistan who are the two partners

of the war on terror. Policy statements and ground realities are totally

different. Afghans are divided and working for the interests of other

neighboring and regional players instead of the interests of Afghanistan. The

majority of Afghans presently believe that Pakistan is supporting the Taliban

insurgency in Afghanistan, on the other hand Pakistan sees the relation of

India and Afghanistan with suspicion. At the end of the day the poor

Pukhtuns/ Afghans are suffering.

An appeal is made to Afghan Taliban that they must grasp the reality that

military victory against the international community is difficult and they

should consider the Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s offer of

reconciliation.

Pukhtuns had enough sufferings, they must say good bye to their miseries

negotiated settlement would provide the NATO with an exit strategy and

help in stabilizing Afghanistan and Pakistan and in bringing peace and

prosperity on Pukhtun soil which is a dream of each and every Pukhtun

around the world.

The Pukhtuns deserve better treatment. They need indigenous and local

solutions to their problems. For indigenous views to be adopted and

respected nationally and internationally, it is important to have consensus

among the major political players, intelligentsia and the masses about our key

challenges and their solutions.

I and my other progressive friends have launched a non-partisan initiative of

consensus building amongst the people of Pukhtunkhwa and Pukhtoons

residing all over Pakistan. This initiative was named Pukhtunkhwa Jamhuri

Tarun.For some reasons this initative could not be successful.We launched

PUKHTUN JIRGA FORUM

our one point agenda and slogan is peace and development on Pukhtun soil.

our objectives are to strive for peace, prosperity and development of

Pukhtuns. We shall be an independent forum for debate, consultation and

convergence of views on socio-political and developmental issues pertaining

to Pukhtuns. The consultation process will be inclusive and shall be open to

all members of the society irrespective of their political affiliations, religious

79

beliefs and ethnicity.

This initiative will solicit the expertise and opinion of leaders and people

from across the political and religious spectrum. Our problems are too grave

for one political or religious party or one political/religious individual to

address, we all have to come together to find a way out.”We started our

activites under the banner of PUKHTUN JIRGA FORUM by convening

jirgas through out Pukhtun belt in Pakistan.As convener of the forum, I

convened a jirga of FATA elders including the elders of seven agencies in

Peshawar and jirgas in Nowshera and Swabi of elders and intellectuals of

Peshawar valley.We convened a jirga in Mingora of the elders of

Swat/Malakand division, we were told that for the first time under same roof

the elders of Swat,Shangla,Buner and Dir sat together.I convened Grand

Loya Jirga of Pukhtun elders in Peshawar on 29th

April 2012.In the grand

jirga, elders from FATA and all the Pukhtun districts participated.More than

2000 elders attended the small jirgas and Grand Loya Jirga.

Following is the declaration of the Grand Loya Jirga held on 29th

April 2012

in Peshawar.The declaration focus on five main issues

i. Extremists violence must stop on Pukhtun Soil. Extremists are not the

guests of Pukhtuns.For the last three decades Pukhtuns are the

victims of a vicious cycle of violence under one guise or the other.

Especially we have seen a a gradual increase in extremist violence

in the last one decade.The Jirga after carefully deliberating on the

historical came to the conclusion that decades of violence has left a

big vacuum in the pukhtun society in terms of leadership and

collective direction. This vacuum in many places is filled by

unwelcomed guests who have exploited the generosity of Pukhtun

traditions. These people want to perpetuate the cycle of bloodshed

on Puktun soil and propogate their global extremist agenda from

pukhtun soil. Pukhtun tradition has been eroded . Pukhtun tribal

maliks have been killed, pukhtun hones have been destroyed and

pukhtun land has been exploited by terrorists to train and hide.

Uniform rule of law in the country: obligation of the

state to disarm all non state entities(militants).

It is the obligation of the State of Pakistan to disarm all non state entities in

KP, FATA pukhtun districts of Balochistan. In many Pukhtun dominated

areas extremists have created their own domains. The Jirga stresses that no

80

military entity should be allowed to keep private armies, conduct militant

training or impose its own law in any part of Pakistan. The Pukhtun people

will fully support the government in such an initiative.

All Pukhtun dominated areas of Pakistan including KP, FATA and ten

districts of Balochistan are integral parts of Pakistan. There is no justification

for one set of laws in one part of the country and another in set of laws in

other parts of the country.Seperate legislations for FATA and PATA have

contributed in the radicalization of these areas.Keeping regional and cultural

sensitivities in mind all laws in Pakistan must be harmonized. The Jiga

declares that when it comes to basic rights of the citizens the constitution of

Pakistan should be uniformly implemented in all of Pakistan.

If non state militant entities are tolerated in Pukhtun areas then the rest of

Pakistan will also be affected by their presence . We can treat it as a Pastun

specific problem.

Return of IDP’s

Pukhtuns have suffered a lot . Millions of Pukhtuns are uprooted from their

homes at one time or the others. Hundereds of thousands of them are stll

living the lives of IDP’s . These IDPs must be facilitated to return to their

homes , they should also be compensated for their losses. A new mechanism

including local networking , restoration of pukhtun values and better

coordination between tribal elders and the government needs to be installed

to ensure that the returning IDPs will live peaceful and productive lives in the

respective areas. Similarly those IDPs who have returned should be

strengthen in their own areas to take ownership and control of their areas

therefore denying sanctuary/safe havens to militants and the trouble makers.

Reconciliation and Rehabilitation process

It is sad reality that many Pukhtuns joined extremist organizations some of

these organizations are even involved in anti state activites. The number of

hardcore extremists in Pukhtun society is limited, most people are misled in

joining these militant groups. The Jirga demanded that the government

should start a reconciliation and rehabilitation process in FATA, KP, and

Balochistan for all those militants who renounces violence and wants to

reintegrate in the society. The Jirga demand the establishment of the

Reconciliation and Rehabilitation Commission of Pakistan.

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According to Pukhtun traditions there should always be a door open for those

who denounce violence. People individually and in groups should be able to

approach these reconciliation centers

Framework for dialogue and development

The Jirga offers a platform of dialogue between the Pukhtun people and the

government . We offer our services of conflict resolution in Puktun areas. We

are also ready to prepare a blue print for the development of Puktun areas of

Pakistan . The report will focus especially on in conflict and post conflict

development and progress from Jihadi economy towards a documented

economy in Pukhtun areas.

Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) says that ‘fear the curse of the oppressed

one, as there is no screen between his invocation and ALLAH’

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PUKHTUN HEROES:

A CONCISE INTRODUCTION

Sher Shah Suri(1472-1545)

Sher’s Shah original name was Farid Khan. He was born in 1472 and died in

1545 at the age of seventy three in Hindustan. He was son of Hassan khan

and his grand father was Ibrahim Khan.

He was one of the greatest kings of India of Afghan/Pukhtun origin and the

most accomplished and out standing son of the Afghans. The Afghans regard

him as the greatest Afghan ever to have lived and one of the truest sons of the

race.

Sultan Mehmood of Ghazni son of Subuktageen introduced the

Afghans/Pukhtuns to India during early eleventh century AD.Ghazni was the

centre of the vast empire

Sher Shah was supremely successful warrior and a versatile military leader

and general and a great organiser.He ruled Hindustan for a brief period of

only five years from 1540 to 1545.His achievements were exemplary. No

other Indian ruler has ever equaled his record of achievement in an equal

span of time. He was a true leader and a Just king. Sher Shah’s place among

the greatest rulers of India is beyond dispute.

Although his reign was short ,its significance is as great and far reaching as

Akbar’s rule of a half century.

Olaf Caroe, the author of The Pathans, calls him’ the most illustrious Afghan

in history.

He was a self made man who left home at the age of 22 and learnt Arabic and

Persian literature.

At his death, Sher Shah left behind an empire stretching from the Indus to the

Bay of Bengal, no other monarch of India has perhaps in any five years of

Indian history established an empire as extensive as his.

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Sher Shah place in history rests not only on his military exploits alone, it

rests equally on the exemplary efficiency of his rule, of- course the army was

the mainstay of Sher Shah’s power and the strongest and most prestigious

organ of his state. He himself was the supreme commander. The army was

the special preserve of Afghans, the ruling military aristocracy, who

furnished, almost exclusively, its officers and soldiers. The Afghans were

well able to supply the large and ever-increasing needs of Sher Shah’s

soldiery.

Civil administration system including enforcement of peace, implementation

of laws, dispensation of justice, prevention of crimes and the assessment and

collection of state revenues, especially land revenues were exemplary during

the rule of Sher Shah.

To keep his extensive empire under effective control, Sher Shah posted

trusted secret agents in all parts of empire and constructed roads .The longest

and most important of these roads ran from the banks of Indus in the west to

Bengal in the East, stretching some 1500 miles. Several other roads were

built connecting major cities like Lahore with Multan, Agra with Jodhpur,

and Delhi with Agra. These roads played a very important role in the

integration of the empire. Both the highways and travelers were strictly

guarded by the state. Fear of severe punishments and strict laws made these

roads safe for the travellers.Seventeen hundred road side inns (serais) with all

basic facilities for Hindus and Muslims separately were built for the

convenience of travelers.

The great warrior, poet, philospher and Afghan/Pukhtun nationalist and arch

rebel against the Mogul King Aurangzeb, Khushal Khan Khattak owned Sher

shah as his supreme model. He says about Sher Shah

‘To tell the truth, Sher Shah was not like us, a false son of the land of

mountains’

Khushal Khan Baba declare in his poetry

‘Such a turn shall I render unto the mughals that the soul of Farid Khan shall

be glad to learn of it’

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KHUSHAL KHAN KHATTAK

Khushal Khan Baba was a great Pukhtun warrior and leader who struggled

through out his life only for the freedom and giving an honorable status in the

society to Pukhtuns.His struggle against the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was

purely for the freedom of Pukhtuns and it was all in the name of

Pukhtunwali.Emperor Aurangzeb was a great hypocrite, he used and

exploited religion while fighting Khushal Baba.Khushal khan never mention

religion or took the cover of religion. His words were pearl of wisdom. He

negated the tribal and ethnic divisions of Pukhtuns. The great poet,philospher

and warrior says

DA AFGHAN PA NANG ME UTARALA TURA

NANGYALE DA ZAMANE KHUSHAL KHATTAK YEM

I am a brave Khushal Khattak and my life and struggle is for protecting the

honor of Afghans/Pukhtuns

Khushal Khan Khattak was a great nationalist, his life and struggle made

Pukhtuns a very important nation in this region of the world.

Khushal khan Baba addressed Pukhtuns and said

'Like crocodiles always travel in wide and big rivers, as I see your death if

you travel in narrow streams'

Pa loee daryab ke garza

pa vala ke de zavaal vinum nehnaga

His contribution to Pukhtun language and culture is unlimited. He says that

the thorns of his soil are better than the flowers of others and if Pukhtuns

were united he would have taught a lesson to mughals.

Khushal says that independence is higher in status than kingdom. When a

person loses independence he becomes a prisioner.He says that his wisdom

bore no fruit as an army of ignorant surrounded him.

His life aim was to snatch independence for Pukhtuns from Mughals.He says

that he converted the mere spark into a blazing fire and set to the house of

emperor Aurangzeb.

Khushal last wish was that he should be buried in a place far away where the

dust of mughal horses could not reach. He died at the age of 78 on Friday

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20,February,1689.

Khushal khan baba says that he can see his prey flying high in the sky. He is

not one of those who would focus on the crawling insects beneath.

Allama Iqbal called Khushal khan the hakeem of Afghan millat and Afghan

shanas.Iqbal says that if he knew Pashto he would have translated khushal's

martial poetry into Urdu and Persian.

A research paper says that khushal khan wrote up to 300 books in

Puskhtu,most of them are not available and obviously lost. still several books

on different subjects like autobiography, history, medicine, morality,

religion, fiqha, philosphy and poetry are available.Dastarnama is a great book

written by him during his imprisonment in India by mughals.His Diwan

(poetry collection) contains almost forty thousand couplets. All Pukhtun

scholars and historians are of the opinion that khushal poetry and philosophy

is unmatched and unprecedented.

Khushal says that

(Yes of course I am not a prophet, but do not ignore my advice. It is

revelation, which he expresses in puktu/Afghani)

Khushal ka nabi na de-naseehat khwe khwar makra

Alhaam de che wai da kalaam pa afghani

I believe if Pukhtuns would have chosen the path which khushal baba had

shown to them, Pukhtuns would have been a more respectable nation. Today

Pukhtns are the most miserable and impoverished people in the region and

are known to the international community as mercenaries and terrorists

because of the fact that Pukhtuns fought wars of other nations on their own

soil. They have killed their own Pukhtun brothers for the strategic interests of

the strangers and in the name of religion they have committed serious crimes.

Besides the so called Islamic countries of the world The Pukhtuns religious

leaders and scholars particularly played a very shameful role by exploiting

the religious tendency of the poor and unemployed Pukhtuns.It seemed that

ALLAH is very annoyed with Pukhtuns.We neither follow ALLAH nor the

prophet Mohammad’s teachings and even ignored Khushal baba’s path and

teachings.

The blood shed of poor Pukhtuns is still going on in the name of religion and

the proxy war is at the peak.

Who ever win the war in Afghanistan that does not matter, the ultimate loser

will be definitely Pukhtuns.I believe Pukhtuns will be on the winning side

only when they fight the war only for the betterment of their future

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generations.

Ahmad Shah Abdali (1722-1773 AD)

At the age of 17 Ahmad khan accompanied Nadir Shah (Turk Warrior) when

the later invaded India in 1739.After the assassination of Nadir shah the

Persians fell upon the Afghans because they were the favorites of Nadir

Shah. Afghans returned to their native land and decided formation of their

own government for Afghanistan.

At the young age of 25,Ahmad khan Abdali(Durrani) a handsome Pukhtun

was crowned as the first Emir(King) of Afghanistan in 1747 in a grand loya

jirga in Kandahaar.His title changed from Khan(Pukhtun chief) to Shah(king

in Persian).After that this brave warrior king and charismatic Afghan leader

did not look back. His goal was to enlarge his kingdom in the shortest

possible time,Pukhtun tribes men rallied to his banner and Ahmad shah led

them on nine compaigns to India.

He invaded Indian Punjab six times between 1748-1752. After local victories

Ahmad shah Baba crossed the Indus river in 1748.He invaded and conquered

Sindh,Heraat,Mashad(present day Iran),Punjab,Kashmir,Lahore and

occupied Delhi in 1756-57.By frequent invasions he extended his empire

from Mashad in Persia to Lahore and Delhi. He reigned twenty six years.

His reign was from 1747-1772.Ahmad shah Baba left India to return

Afghanistan leaving his second son as in charge.

The victory at Panipat against Marhatas’ in 1761 was high point of Ahmad

Shah Baba rule, as many as 100 Thousand troops from each side took part in

the battle of Panipath.His empire was one of the largest empires led by a

Muslim in the world at that time. By the time of his death in 1773 at the age

of 50, he had lost control of Punjab to Sikhs.

He was succeeded by his son Timur shah, who was considered a weak ruler.

Ahmad shah was a king of high rank, regarded by many to be the founder of

modern Afghanistan. He was a literary man and a great poet. He was not a

king or emperor just by inheritance, he was a famous poet and literary leader

like Farid khan(Sher Shah Suri) and Khushal Khan Khattak.

The two great Afghans Sher Shah Suri and Ahmad Shah Abdali did not rule

this part of the world through inheritance. They conquered the land they

ruled. They were great and brave warriors, skilled supervisors and managers.

They provided good governance and justice to the people.

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According to a Pakistani historian Mr. Mubarak Ali and some other prejudice

historians tried to prove that Ahmad Shah Baba did massacre and invaded

India only for the sake of plunder.Pukhtuns just don't understands that why

the people like Mubarak Ali have so much poison against the national heroes

of Pukhtuns.We know our history much more and better than these so called

historians. They are masters of manufacturing distorted history and

Pakistanis are the only victims of this history.

concealing facts should be considered a crime and there should be laws and

hard punishments for such crimiminals in Pakistan and India, so that no

prejudice person should dare to manufacture the distorted history.

Pukhtuns are taught to give full protocol and respect to the national heroes of

other nations, their culture and mother’s language and expect the same from

others for their own national heroes, culture and mother’s language.

ABDUL SAMAD KHAN ACHAKZAI(1907-1973)

He was a Pukhtun nationalist politician, repeatedly imprisoned both during

British rule and by different Pakistani governments. He was a close aide of

Abdul Ghafar Khan. Like Bacha khan Abdul Samad Khan had large

following among Pukhtuns.He remained a political prisoner in different

Pakistani prisons more than any politician including Bacha Khan.

His died in a hand grenade blast in his Quetta home alleged by the Bugti

Tribe men. He was a member of Baluchistan Provincial Assembly at the time

of his assassination.

Mahmud Khan son of Abdul Samad Khan is his political heir and presently

leading Puktunkhwa Milli Awami Party.Mehmud khan Achakzai was the

only Pukhtun nationalist politician representing Pukhtuns in the national

assembly of Pakistan after 2002 elections, as all other nationalists politicians

who contested the elections were rejected by Pukhtuns.Mehmud khan is a

qualified engineer. He got the degree in civil engineering from the university

of Peshawar in 1971.

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ABDUL GHAFFAR KHAN(1890-20th jan.1988)

Abdul Ghaffar khan(Bacha khan) teachings were that politics means service

of the people and service of the people is worship(Ibadat).He says that

religion means love and truth. He died at the age of 98. He was a universal man and a non violent soldier preaching the philosophy

of non violence through out his life. He said that there is nothing surprising

in a Muslim like him subscribing to the creed of nonviolence. It is not a new

creed. It was followed 1400 years ago by the prophet all the time when

Prophet Muhammad(PBUH)was in Mecca.

He was imprisoned for twenty seven years by the British and later by

Pakistani government. He was against the one unit scheme introduced by

General Ayub in 1955 for the establishment of west Pakistan’s parity with

East Pakistan. It was dissolved in 1970 by General Yahya.Bacha khan was

the pioneer and his khudai khitmatgars gave lot of sacrifices against one unit.

One wishing to become a khudai khidmatgar had to take the following oath.

“I am a khudai khithmatgar,and God needs no service ,I shall serve Him by

serving His creatures selflessly shall never use violence ,I shall not retaliate

or take revenge ,and I shall forgive any one who indulges in oppression and

excesses against me. I as all not be a party to any intrigue, family feuds and

enmity, and I shall treat every Pukhtun as my brother and comrade. I shall

give up evil customs and practices. I shall expect no reward for my services .I

shall be fearless and be prepared for my sacrifice”.

Bacha Khan was a man of conviction rather than of words. He was a

practical man, a real Muslim neither a pretender nor a hypocrite. He lived for

peace,tolerence,forgiveness and justice. He was passionate for independence

from British rule and then the dictatorial rule in Pakistan.

A former Indian ambassador Mr. J.N Dixit writes in his book that during the

soviet occupation and severe fighting in Afghanistan once Ghafar khan told

him that he should arrange a meeting for him with Brezhnev. He will tell

them 'raham karo'. The pukhtuns are being destroyed in Afghanistan. The

revolution has become oppression in that country. Mujahideen kill them at

night and the Russians kill them in the morning, it is the Pukhtun who dies.

Bacha khan says that violence always promotes a sense of hatred and he said

that his faith is clear and he will not forsake it even if he stands alone in the

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people.

Ghaffar khan breathed his last in Peshawar on 20 January 1988.The funeral

of Bacha khan was a life time experience for me. I accompanied his coffin

through and beyond the Khyber pass to Jalalabad in Afghanistan, where he

was buried. All the participants Crossed the Durand Line drawn by the

British Colonial rule. There were no visa or passport formalities between

Pakistan and Afghanistan for the parcipants of the funeral of Bacha Khan.

Mr.Rajmohan Gandhi in his book ‘GHAFAR KHAN-Non violent Badshah

of Pukhtuns’ says that Ajmal Khattak told him that in his presence Bacha

Khan standing at his Jalalabad home, declared that he wanted to see in that

space a university for orphaned and destitute Pukhtuns girls, and that he

wanted to be buried there.

Bacha khan funeral procession and his burial in Jalalabad conveyed a loud

and clear message that a divide line drawn between a nation by an out

sider(British Colonial) will remain temporary and it depends upon the people

living on both sides of this line to make it more temporary or more

permanent.

While drawing this 1200 miles long line of divide between a nation Mr.

Henry Durand on 13th November 1893 would have never thought that it will

last for more than a century. Mir Abdul Rehman signed Durand line treaty in

Kabul. It was a bargain between two mighty Empires of that time –The

Czarist Russian Empire and the British Empire. Till date Afghanistan has not

recognized the Durand line as it was engineered by the British Colonial

power through duress. During marking of Durand line Afghanistan was a

sovereign state but sandwiched between the Russian and British Empires.

The Berlin wall dividing the German nation could sustain only for 28 years.

An appeal is made to to the followers of Abdul Ghafar khan that please don't

drag the sruggle of Khudai Khitmatgars in the current dirty politics which is

based on cowardice, corruption and hypocrisy.Khudai Khidhmatgars were

great people.

Bacha khan and Khudai Khitmatgars lived for peace, tolerance and justice.

They were like rocks .No force or threat could shake their stand for freedom

and dignity of a human being. Their rejection of violence and revenge and

their readiness to cooperate with non Muslims add up to valuable legacy for

our present angry time. This legacy may be of help to Muslims and non

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Muslims today in the task of overcoming divides between west and Islam.

Abdul Ghafar khan and his colleagues were cheated and let down by the

leaders of Indian National Congress in 1947 when power was finally sighted

and the British rule seemed to end. They forgot the promises and left Bacha

Khan in wilderness, which in hard times had stood with them against the

British Raj and gave ultimate sacrifices. An allay of the congress and a great

freedom fighter was sacrificed for power by his political friends led by Mr.

Nehru. The congress leaders forgotten the killing of 300 non violent khudai

khitmatgars on 23 April 1930 by British bullets in Peshawar and else where.

The khudai khithmatgars lead by Bacha khan were demanding complete

independence on the call of Gandhi jee.

Bacha khan opposed the partition of India . The Indian National Congress

betrayed Bacha Khan .Bacha khan last word to Gandhi and his erstwhile

allies including Nehru in the congress party were “YOU HAVE THROWN

US TO THE WOLVES”

Ghafar khan founded Khudai Khitmatgars in 1920’s.Bacha Khan and Gandhi

jee had deep admiration towards each other and worked together closely till

1947.Bacha khan remained a member of congress working committee.

To Pakistani rulers he seemed a traitor, an Indian and Afghan agent and on

top of all an unreasonable man. He remained a political prisoner for

additional fifteen years after the founding of Pakistan.

Bacha khan attended the first session of Pakistan first parliament on 23

February 1948 in Karachi and took the oath of allegiance to Pakistan and its

flag.Mr Jinnah who was the head of the state and the Muslim league invited

Ghaffar khan and embraced him remarking “Today I feel that my dream of

Pakistan is realized”.

On 5 March 1948,Bacha khan addressed for the first time to the constituent

assembly of Pakistan. He said that he had admitted that he opposed the

division of the sub continent, because he knew that the partition would bring

miseries, blood shed and led to great massacres, but added, Now that the

division has been done, the dispute is over. During his speech he complained

that British officers continued to occupy many key positions in Pakistan. He

added that Government is run on good faith and not on mistrust. He said that

Pakistan would become stronger and not weaker if all the Pukhtuns on this

side of the Durand line are united together in a province called Pukhtunistan.

Mr. Jinnah asked Bacha khan in Peshawar at a reception given by acting

governor Sir Dundas to join Muslim league, Bacha Khan refused the offer

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and said he found hard to join the league whose members had only recently

looted the properties of Hindus and Sikhs.

Ten months after the departure of British Bacha khan was sent to

Montgomery jail for three years rigorous imprisonment by Qayum

khan(Chief Minister). On 12 August 1948 Babara(Charsada) massacre

occurred by the orders of Qayum khan who was the most trusted man of

Mr.Jinnah in Pukhtunkhwa, more than 100 khudai khidhmatgars were killed

and 400 wounded. Like this the relations between Jinnah and Bacha khan

were widened, according to Bacha khan Jinnah’s ears were poisoned against

him by Qayum khan.Mr Jinnah died in September 1948 by illness under

mysterious conditions. Qayum Khan who was a Kashmiri by origin remained

in power during Mr. Jinnah and Z.A Bhutto governments. I have been told

that he is buried in Peshawar city.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s elder brother Dr. Khan Sahib was a medical doctor

and a politician . Dr. Khan Sahib remained Chief Minister of Pukhtunkhwa

and Chief Minister of West Pakistan during one unit period. He also

remained Federal minister for railways. He was assassinated in Lahore on 7th

may 1958.The assassin was killed by his guards. He was a very popular

politician and famous for his honesty and discipline.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan had three sons, Ghani Khan, Ali Khan and Wali Khan.

Ghani Khan was a politician, poet, philosopher and a noted artist/sculpturer.

He was an institution in real terms, Ali Khan was an educationist and Abdul

Wali Khan was the political heir of Bacha khan.

Abdul Wali Khan was imprisoned several times during British rule and by

different Pakistani rulers. He was the opposition leader in the National

Assembly after 1971 elections during Z.A Bhutto government. He played

very important role in giving 1973 constitution of Pakistan.1973 constitution

was a great opportunity to solve the issue of provincial autonomy and

provincial economy and other problems faced by Pukhtuns but Pukhtuns got

nothing from this exercise. Wali Khan quit electioneering politics when he

was defeated by a religious scholar by the name of Hasan Jan of

Charsada.Hasan Jan was recently killed by militants Taliban when he gave a

statement that suicide bombing is haram(not acceptable) in Islam.

Z.A Bhutto put Wali khan and other leaders of his party in Hyderabad prison

on fake charges of treason. Z.A Bhutto created a fake Iraqi weapons

conspiracy against Wali Khan and his Baluch and Pukhtuns colleagues.

General Zia released Wali Khan and all others when he over threw Z.A

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Bhutto’s government in a military coup. When General Zia put Z.A Bhutto in

prison, Wali khan gave the famous statement that there is one grave and the

persons are two. When Z.A Bhutto was hanged to death by General Zia, Wali

Khan’s followers celebrated the act.

Abdul Wali Khan is author of many books. In his book Facts are sacred Wali

Khan says that during General Ayub Khan’s rule he remained mostly in

solitary confinement and could hence wholly devoted him self to writing .But

under Z.A Bhutto rule even pen and paper were not allowed and available

Wali khan says that Pakistani rulers have prevented the people of Pakistan

from getting to know true facts. They do not report history but manufacture

it.

Wali khan in his book” Facts are sacred’quotting Governor Cunningham

diaries and other declassified documents available in British library says

After the demise of Hajji sahib Taurangzai and Mullah Powindah ,the lone

un purchasable mujahid left in the field was Faqir of Ipi.According to a letter

of the secretary of state for India to the Viceroy to try for some arrangement

with Faqir Ipi.The Viceroy wrote back to him on July 14th 1938 and says that

there is no possible chance of any deal with Faqir of Ipi as he was completely

incorruptible.

AJMAL KHATTAK’S LIFE AND STRUGGLE(SEPT. 15th 1925-FEB.7th2010)

(The only real khudai khitmatgar I knew)

Ajmal khattak baba, a sincere nationalist, political activist and poet of the

poor Pukhtuns in his famous poetry collection ‘THE GHAIRAT CHAGHA

SAYS’

Ka pa you gut ke youa sanga toola gul she nu sa

Sparley hagha che hum pa gul au hum pa khar rashee

Spring means greenery and flowers all around and not just flowers on a

branch in a corner. Independence and a change in the society should be for

every one and not for few. It should bring prosperity for the poor too.

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Sta da janat da naimatuno na zaar

Za darta oogi pa jahan zhalum

Sta da dozakh la laramanona tooba

Za dalta daa laramanaan zhalum

Addressing ALLAH

Your blessings of Paradise are unlimited and great,but I am worried about the

needy in this world.

You have horrible scorpions in the hell for those who had violated your laws,

but I am worried about these blood suckers around me in this world.

Pa khpala khawara khpal ezat joraum

Zaan ta jungara da ghairat jooraum

I want to build a house of prestige on my soil in which I will live with

honour,dignity and self respect.

Ajmal Khattak died at his native Akora Khattak town, Nowshera district on

Sunday, 7 February, 2010 at the age of 85.He was born on September 15, and

1925.He was a committed political worker, veteran nationalist and known

writer and a poet. He is author of more than a dozen books. His assets of life

were his character, intellectual and political acumen. He remained down to

earth till his death. He was a revolutionary and a true nationalist and never

toed any one’s ideological line. He was deadly against national oppression.

He owned the treasures of knowledge and wisdom. He was the only real

khudai khitmatgar I knew.

He remained in British and Pakistani prisons as a freedom fighter in the quit

India movement and a political worker fighting for the rights of his people.

Ajmal khattak baba life was full of sacrifices, he was severely tortured by

khan Qayum’s Muslim league government after independence in 1947 and

then during anti one unit agitation during General Ayub khan’s rule, but this

brave Pukhtun never made any deal for his personnel interests or his

principals. He was a close aide of Bacha Khan and remained loyal to him

through out his life.

Ajmal khattak went in self exile on March 23, 1973 after the firing incident

on public meeting in liaqat bagh Rawalpindi during Z.A Bhutto and Mustafa

Khar rule. Several Pukhtuns were killed in that shoot out. He came back to

Pakistan finishing his self exile of almost fifteen years in 1989 and contested

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1990 elections.Wali khan and ANP workers including my self welcomed him

at Peshawar airport. He was elected to National Assembly in 1990 elections

from the only seat of Nowshera district, then he was elected as senator and

later on Ajmal khattak was made the central President of ANP.He was

among those very few politicians in Pakistan and particularly among

Pukhtuns whose hands were clean.

Ajmal Khattak was the first politician whom General Musharaf met after

coming into power. Musharaf impression at that time was that he was an

honest and a brave man. I remember politicians, technocrats and civil society

members started visiting Ajmal Khattak’s hujra in Akora after his meeting

with General Musharaf.At that time Ajmal khattak was ANP centeral

president. I along with my friend Adil Khattak also went to meet him. His

hujra was packed, poor Pukhtuns from far flung areas were there. The Poor

people were really very happy that their miseries will be over once Ajmal

baba reach in power corridor. They were sure that Khattak baba will look

after their interests as he was amongst them. The poor Pukhtuns have great

love and respect for Khattak baba.

I asked Ajmal khattak that what was the purpose of General Musharaf

meeting him. He replied that Musharaf promised to share power and

authority with him. I replied that it was great and asked that what was the

obstruction then, he replied that General Musharaf was waiting for his

response. Later on something got wrong and everything fizzled out.

Wali Khan’s family members were not happy with Ajmal baba meeting

General Musharaf in their absence and they were putting tremendous

pressure on Ajmal khattak to talk to General Musharaf about the release of

one of a family member, who remained a Federal minister in Nawaz Sharif’s

government and was under custody on corruption charges at that time, but

Ajmal baba flatly refused to do so. In a public meeting in Nowshera he said

that a thief is a thief and he should be dealt according to law irrespective of

that he is a brother or son of some one.

Ajmal khattak was an honest politician which is very rare in Pakistan. I

believed that at that time he was also under the impression that Musharaf was

sincere and honest. Musharaf remained in power in uniform for nine years

and to whom khattak baba called thieves are the present rulers. I believe

Ajmal baba was sandwiched between the law breakers, corrupt and

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hypocrites. This also proved one thing that people like Ajmal baba were the

most misfits in this corrupt society.

Later on he was forced to leave ANP..He formed his own party by the name

of NAP-Pakistan, which was ultimately remerged into ANP of Wali Khan.

I read in the daily ‘The News’ in an article Pukthtu in Pennsylvania(USA) in

the second week of October 2009 that Ajmal khattak poetry is being taught in

the American Pennsylvania University. It is really great honor for Ajmal

baba and Pukhtun nation

.Ajmal khattak in one of his latest poetry collection says

ANGRHARO KE DA BASARO LAMBA SHTA DE

KHO SPERE KHARE EERE PRE RA AMBAR DE

YAO SOO KHA TAWDA POKEE WARKAWAL GHWARI

VRAZE SHPE DA SRO LAMBO DA SOOR ANGAR DE

There still exists a spark in the fire place, but it is covered by a mount of dirty

grey ashes. It needs a few strong blows to rekindle the flames as it is the right

time of red flames.

In my visit to Kabul in march,2010 accompanied by Mr.Aimal khattak son of

Ajmal Baba,I said in my speech to the Afghan Parliament members and

Afghan intelligentsia in a seminar organized in the memory of Ajmal Khattak

that Ajmal Baba was a not only nationalist,poet,philosopher,politician and

writer, but he was a great engineer and an agriculturist also. He designed and

constructed such a sound foundation on Khushal Khan’s philosophy that a

magnificent building can be constructed on that foundation, and as a farmer

and agriculturist, he sown such seeds that if Afghans/Pukhtuns look after it

seriously and carefully, it can be made a beautiful orchid.

Ajmal Baba was confined to his home at Akora Khattak for two years before

his death because of illness. Although he was old and weak, but he used to

take interests in reading and writing.

May Allah bless Ajmal Baba along with all those Pukhtuns elders mentioned

earlier who did great struggle to promote and protect the interests of

Pukhtuns at the cost of their own and their family’s comforts.

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MUHAMMAD AFZAL KHAN

People of Swat were the worst affected durig recent Swat insurgency and

militancy.Afzal Khan and his family were among those who did not left

Swat. He was besieged in his village Drushkhela for 15 months. There was

no electricity, no land line telephone or mobile, no internet facility and he did

not have access to news papers etc.His source of information and contact to

the world was through radio.Assasination attempts were made on his life

during MMA government by the militants in which he got two bullets

wounds, his nephew Abdul jabar khan was seriously injured, his driver and

body guard were killed, his grand sons were also assassinated in a separate

incident, missiles were fired on his house and other residences of his family

members on daily basis. He was financially strangulated. His only source of

income is from agriculture which has been completely destroyed by the

militants.Maulana Fazlulah has announced on FM radio that his name was on

the top of the list to be punished.

Afzal Khan and his family members did not abandon their homes and

villages like other Khans, politicians and elected members left Swat.

Once Afrasiab Khattak told me that I should ask Afzal Khan to leave Swat.I

told him that the best and most respectable way for Afzal Khan to leave

Swat was recommending him for the governorship or least a senate seat by

the party.Afrasiab did not give any positive answer. I came to the conclusion

that ANP leader ship was in severe complex with reference to Afzal Khan

courage and his decision of not abandoning his people and his soil. Afzal

Khan had already refused offers by military commanders to leave Swat in

military helicopters.

Afzal Khan was the last khan standing firm on the ground, militants were

controlling more than 90% of Swat valley, but their victory was considered

incomplete.

It is the duty of the Provincial and Federal security agencies and Pakistan

Army to establish the writ of the state.At that time they were making dubious

peace deals in great hurry with the killers of the people of swat, with out

taking him and other Swatis into confidence.

ANP leadership even denied the video shown on TV channels of the flogging

of a Swati young girl by the militant Talibans.ANP was defending these

militants and giving statements in favor of them and threatening progressive

Pukhtuns like Samar Minallah.She was threatened by our nationalists and

secular leaders for providing the video of flogging of the Swati girl to the

private TV channels. she played a great role by exposing the real face of the

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militants and so called secular, progressive and nationalists who were

involved in dubious peace deals with them. Samar helped the Swati women

and children more than any so called leaders did.

ANP present leadership has damaged the reputation of progressive and

secular Pukhtuns in the international community..

Bacha khan teachings were that politics meant service of the nation and

service of the nation is worship( Ibadat).I believes that the present so called

Pukhtun leadership will pay a heavy price for what they did in recent past. It

will be very difficult for them to face the masses again.

There is no security available to any one in Pukhtunkhwa, no body is safe at

his home or work place. kidnapping for ransom is a normal routine. parents

are scared by sending their children to schools. The political leader ship and

higher police officials are restricted to their homes and offices because of

fear. The political leadership avoids even attending the funeral prayers of

their near and dear one’s, which is a must and very important event in

Pukhtun tradition and culture.

Pukhtunkhwa is not Punjab or sindh where a leader can remain in politics

after spending decades in Arab, London and New York palaces.Pukhtuns

want their leaders and elders to sit with them on the ground like Bacha khan

did, through out his life. Bacha khan never remained in power, he never gave

any thing to his followers in material form but gave them lot of self respect.

He is still the ideal of millions Pukhtuns around the world.Pukhtuns are not

like muhajirs and one can't rule them sitting in London or Dubai.

Winston Churchill described the mindset of Pukhtuns as that every Pukhtun

is a warrior, a politician and a theologian. Nothing is ever forgotten, and very

few debts are unpaid. It is an established code of honor, a person who

faithfully observed it might pass unharmed from one end of the frontier to

another. The slightest technical slip, however, would be fatal.

In one of my meeting in may 2009 with Asfandyar and Afrasiab in Islamabad

in the presence of Afzal khan lala and other close associates at the Frontier

house I said to them that people are of the opinion that the present ANP

government is the most corrupt and inefficient government in the history of

our province. Peace deal with the militants in Swat also did a lot of damage. I

told Asfandyar that the people of Swat and Malakand suffered a lot by one

man and that was commissioner Javed and of course the ANP provincial

government was responsible because they brought him from Hazara to Swat.

I told Asfandyar khan that it has become very difficult for the honest and

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sincere party workers to defend the corrupt practices of the Pukhtunkhwa

government.

I also informed him about some appointments of bureaucrats in the province,

whose reputation was dubious, I asked why honest and men of integrity were

not appointed on key positions. I told him that he might not know the ground

realities, because he was away from the country for a long period, the affairs

at the province are very bad.Asfandyar told me that he was responsible only

for two appointments and those were the Provincial chief secretary and

provincial police chief and the rest you asked from Afrasiab.I remember

when we used to talk about the management of government before the

formation of the government in the presence of Afrasiab our priorities were

always honest, hardworking, efficient, nationalists and men of integrity for

the important positions. but now our leader’s priorities have been completely

changed. To me Afrasiab seemed powerless but he was not admitting that, I

don't know why?

Afrasiab gave strange arguments, he said that if according to me Pukhtuns

were not happy with the Provincial government then why they voted for the

ANP candidate in the by election of a Peshawar constituency of provincial

assembly which were held a few days back. I believe he would have told this

earlier even to Asfandyar that ANP is a very popular party as they have won

a bye election. I know Afrasiab very well and I am sure that Afrasiab knows

that what is the yard stick of the popularity of a political party and he knows

that it can be any thing else, but not at least winning a by election. In the

electioneering history of Pakistan a ruling party never lost a bye election

because of corrupt political and bureaucratic culture and if some how a ruling

party loses a bye election that means that people hate that party.

I remember once Afzal khan told me much before the military operation in

Swat was started that commissioner Javed was more a Talib than Muslim

khan or Fazlulah.He added that he don’t understand that what sin the Swatis

have committed that ANP leaders are teaching them a lesson.ANP leader

ship never consulted the people of Swat or Afzal khan on Swat affairs and

the peace deal with the militants. Khan lala told me that he disagrees with

any blanket amnesty for militants which were given to them through peace

deal.I used to speak daily to khan lala.He told me that no body from ANP

leadership even bothered to call him on telephone. I told Khan Lala that no

one in the ANP leadership had the time for him. they were looking after

patwaris, SHO,s and SDO,s postings and transfers. I had information’s that

they were busy in dirty and corrupt practices.

The peak of the culture of easy going and inefficiency was that one day I

heard that all the MPA’s have left for Dubai to celebrate the victory of a

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Dubai based real estate agent as senator. It was that period when people of

Malakand and Swat were having the worst time,slaughtering and beheading

of Pukhtuns by Taliban was a normal practice and Swat was burning and was

on fire. I asked Afrasiab that it will create very bad impression of the party

and you should have stopped them as it was not the proper time. He

answered that it makes no difference as Jamat Islami is in a habit of doing

propaganda. I told him that it is not Jamat Islami,it is my and sincere party

workers views.

Once I visited Bacha khan markaz to meet Afrasiab.The famous Pukhtun

religious scholar and psychiatrist Dr.Faruq Khan was already sitting with him

in his office. After some time he left, I asked Afrasiab about the purpose of

Dr Faruq’s visit.Afrasiab told me that they were planning an Islamic

university of Alazhar/darul uloom Deoband standard at Imam Dheri(home of

Fazlullah in Swat)and Dr.Faruq Khan will be the vice chancellor of that

university. This was the biggest surprise of my life and I was astonished.

This was some thing which I would have never believed if some one else

would have told me that Afrasiab is planning to construct an Islamic

university. I really felt sorry for my progressive,nationalist,secular and

human rights activist friend.Dr.Faruq was gunned down by militants in

Mardan on October 2,2010.I believe the inefficient and incompetent

provincial administration is responsible for his killing.Dr Faruq was a brave

man and a great asset of Pukhtun nation. The leaders provided security only

for them selves and they used people like Dr Faruq.No single Pukhtun leader

attended namaz-i- janaza of Dr.Faruq Khan.

Afrasiab in his book 'Sarhad'which he wrote in 2000 says that religious

extremism in Malakand division aim is to separate the people of Malakand

from the main Pukhtun national political/democratic system and they have

the support of the government. The same person and his party were

negotiating peace deals with the militants and planning an Islamic university

for them at Imam Dheri.What message he and his party were conveying to

Pukhtuns and particularly to Swatis?

Afzal khan told me that Pukhtuns need universities of modern sciences and

technical institutes not religious schools.Pukhtnns and particularly the people

of Swat and Malakand did not vote for ANP in 2008 elections for making an

Islamic university in Swat, but they voted for them because they were fed up

with MMA government’s policies. If Swatis needed Islamic university they

would have voted MMA again in 2008 elections.

I had heard that absolute power corrupt absolutely. but my good old friends

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have become absolutely corrupt with very little and a ray of power.

My dream of service of my nation gone sour.

During the month of November December 2008 and January 2009,there were

articles and reports in the press about increasing militancy in Swat and the

role of Afzal khan. Some writers tried to give an impression that the

militancy raging in swat is a class war which was a total distortion of the

realities. these were the days when Pir Samiullah a gujar and not a land lord

was killed and humilated,barber shops,cd'c shops, schools and government

buildings were bombed and poor Swatis were slaughtered. A poor female

singer was executed and shot dead at Mingora.It was also reported in a

leading newspaper that Afzal khan is the biggest land owner and a nationalist

politician and he will prefer to die like President Najibullah of Afghanistan,

who was killed and humiliated by Taliban after they conquered Kabul.

These baseless reports seemed very serious and alarming. I discussed the

nature of these reports with my friends at Islamabad and Peshawar.I was of

the opinion that some thing bad is cooking up against khan lala by calling the

extremist religious militancy in Swat a class war and comparing khan lala

with Dr Najibullah. Khan lala never wished to die like Dr Najeeb and he is

not that sort of a land lord who could be afraid of a class war.

Afzal Khan Lala’s friends were worried about his safety and security, who

was already besieged along his other family members in his village

Drushkhela. His party had already dumped him. I decided that we must act

and do what ever we could do for his safety. My friends Adil khattak,jan

nisar,Ghani khattak,Jamal khan,Asad afridi,kifayat,Hasan khan ,Omar Adam

and Khan lala’s well wishers from Quetta,kohat,Peshawar and FATA gave

fruitful suggestions. I was already disappointed with our party ANP

leadership as they were almost invisible and were not available to party

workers. We discussed this matter with some people in the government and

friends on important positions in Islamabad and else where. We had a very

strong argument that if any harm is done to Afzal Khan that will mean

separation of Swat/Malakand from Pakistan as already more than 90% of the

valley was under militants control. Our point of view was that Afzal Khan

was fighting this war all alone. This was not his war. Militants have

challenged the writ of the state and the state should respond. At that time

there was no police and provincial administration in Swat and military was

confined to their camps. Militants were ruling the valleys of Swat by

terrorizing the Swatis.

We conveyed a message of Afzal Khan to all who matter. This message said

'TO DAY I AM ALONE FACING A HORRIBLE SITUATION, O

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PEOPLE OF THE WORLD WHAT YOUR Conscience tells you.

The message further added that” We are in a serious and very difficult

situation. We have to be united to face the monster of violence and brutality.

An individual can perform miracles but a nation can accomplish victories.

please help Pukhtun nation as it needs peace more than any other nation of

the region. We are victims of religious extremism and terrorism .We are a

non violent nation but have been portrayed as a barbaric nation. There exist

grave danger to our honour,national identity and our culture. we are the

losers and most miserable people in the region. We are the one who have

been displaced, killed, orphaned and widowed”.

He further said that Save swat as it is life and death for Pakistan.If Swat goes

so does Pakistan".

As India,Pakistan,Afghanistan and Iran are involved in dangerous

conspiracies against each other, the separation of Malakand division from

Pakistan seems to be the first step towards the disintegration of Pakistan. The

ANP-PPP government virtually handed over the administration of Malakand

Division to the militants. people were thrown to the wolves, I would like the

experts view that whether a Provincial government is authorized to make a

peace deal with those, who are involved in killing, slaughtering and

beheading innocent citizens, who bombed and destroyed 200 schools and

several public and private properties, who terrorize the citizens by flogging

and using un authorize FM radio stations. All those who signed this so called

peace accord must be seriously investigated, a lot of excesses have been

committed by the millitants,amnesty can only be provided to them, who are

forgiven by the victim’s families according to local traditions.

Afzal Khan is of the view from day one that militants are criminals and they

have challenged the writ of the state and it is the responsibility of the state to

protect honour,lives and properties of the citizens.

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Me and My Family I was born in 1953 into a Suleiman khel(Afghan) family in village Badrashi

of district Nowshera in the home of Sher Afzal khan. I am the sixth child of

my parents. I passed my matric exam from cantt. public high school

Nowshera in 1968.I did my F.Sc from Islamia college Peshawar in 1970 and

B.Sc from Edwards College Peshawar in 1972.I completed my studies in

1976 and got a bachelors degree in civil engineering from engineering

college university of Peshawar. I am a member of Pakistan Engineering

Council.

After completion of studies I joined my father’s construction company. My

elder’s brothers Usman Ali Khan and Tariq Ali Khan were already assisting

my father in his business and agriculture. Initially my father gave me the job

of managing an ice making plant at Nowshera.

In school days I used to swim regularly in river Kabul, which flows less than

a kilometer from my village and just five minutes walk from my school. my

school days hobbies included hunting, playing hockey, foot ball and boxing. I

was an excellent shooter initially with an air gun and .22 and finally with a

12 bore. I always remained number one or two in the sports activities in my

school. My rival in boxing was my friend and my classmate Mr.Tufail.

My school friends were Adil khattak, Mian liaqat,karim khan,Bakht

Zada,Razi uddin,Shoab,Zaheer,Tariq hameed,Rubeen Rehman,Ali Saif

Niazi,Irfan Usman,Fily framjee,latif,Waqar Malick and two famous brothers

Nurul amin and Amirul momineen,Bilal and Siraj(Bengalis) and among the

girls my classmates were Nasreen Mukaty,Shagufta Ansari,Semeen

Rehman,Zahida,Shafqat shahid,Ruby Qazi and Sumbal Awan.Almost all of

us remained for almost ten years right from nursery up to matric.Many of

my school, college and university friends are no more in this world, may

Allah give them a beautiful corner in Janat ul Firdaus.

I will always remember one great lady and she was our principal

Mrs.Rehman.A remarkable personality. she used to teach us English. She

was extremely conscious about perfect pronunciation. I remember how she

taught me the exact pronunciation of the word "PLEASURE”. She died two

years back in Karachi. May ALLAH rest her soul in eternal peace and give

her a place of her choice in paradise.

When ever I think about Mrs.Rehman, an image of a beautiful lady with

a dynamic personality wearing an Indian sari comes in my mind.

Mr. Bilgrami,Mr.Razaq,Madam Malick,Sir khan,Madam Saltanat,Madam

Shehnaz and Mr. Lal Said were our teachers. Madam Haq was our Islamiat

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teacher and her son Anwar ul haq was our class mate.

My school age had great effect on my life. when I look back at my life, I still

find myself stuck in my school. I have beautiful memories and beautiful

images in my mind of my school days. picnics at kund at the bank of River

Kabul, annual parents and sports day and the stage dramas were our regular

and lovely activities.

A qawali I still remember which we used to sing on the stage on the annual

sports day, the wordings were like this

chawan ne nanku se kaha, ke kuch bi gham nahi

hum hind ke sapoot hain, geedarh se kam nahi

At that time I had no idea that what I was saying in that qawali.With the

passage of time I realized that our history was distorted and we were put on

a wrong track. I believe looking down on other religions, nations and their

leaders is a sin. Really now I feel sad for what ever I had said almost forty

years back.

My college and university friends were Tariq sheikh of Attock,Laeeq- uz-

zaman.Muslim khan of lundkhwar,Inamullah khan of Pirpai,Shah jehan of

swabi,Asif khan of charsada,Ikramullah khan, Shah zaman khan and Sher

Akbar khan of Tangi,Ehsanullah Khan of Waziristan,Maqsood of

Pabbi,Akbar Hoti of Mardan, ,Riaz khan,Irshad Ulla khan,Mumtaz khan and

Shahid hameed of Nowshaera,Pir waheed of Mardan ,Niaz Khan,Ataullah

khan, Khalid khan and Pervaiz khan of Toru,my cousins Naveed,Amjid

Hayat,Idrees Khan ,yousuf Ghaffar, Kamran and Najeeb khilji of

Badrashi,Muhammad Hanif and sohail of Peshawar,Basheer khan of Pir

pai,Sikandar khattak and liaqatat khattak of Dak Ismail khel.Sher khan,Zahid

Mufti,Waqar Nabi and Shaukat Shah of Hazara,Faruq Azam and Khalid Shah

of Bannu.

I got married on 7th

April in 1983 at my village Badrashi.I left for a long

honey moon to London,Paris,America and Canada. I named my first child

Afrasiab Khan born in Badrashi in 1984.Later in 1988,I had a daughter,Aila

born in Islamabad.

Khushal khan khattak,the greatest poet,philospher and warrior says that there

is no death before the appointed time even if one's body is pierced by arrows

a hundred and more times.

Che qaza da sari na vi sare na mri

Ka ai drust surat pa ghasho shee ghar baal

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Being a Muslim I have a strong belief that life and death are given by

ALLAH.I had near death experience on three different occasions in my life,

first in 1974 on 8th February, when I was an engineering student at Peshawar

university, I was sitting in the second row in the hall and a bomb blast took

place in which Hayat khan sherpao was killed and many students were

seriously wounded. second time in 1980 , I was driving from Nowshera to

Risalpur to visit my construction site at PAF Risalpur base and I had a head

on collision with a passenger bus. My Mercedes car was totally destroyed up

to steering wheel. The third time was in July 2007 when I was returning

from Jeddah to Islamabad on a PIA flight after performing umrah along my

wife, son and daughter. After fifteen minutes of taking off, it was announced

that the engines of the plane were on fire and that there will be an emergency

landing, we could see the fire on the right side of the plane. it took almost

another 15 minutes to make an emergency landing. All arrangements were

made at the run way for the emergency landing and it was a horrible landing,

the plane was forced to stop covering a very short distance with a huge bang

bursting all the tyres of the plane, after about half an hour the fire

extinguishing operation was completed and we were allowed to leave the

plane.

During the month of Ramzan on 15th February 1995, after aftari a dacoity

took place in my Islamabad house. I was in Peshawar. My wife, son and

daughter with three servants were present at home. Three masked men with

pistols entered through kitchen door in the house. They hand cuffed the

servants and demanded cash and gold which was given to them and they left

my house after five minutes operation driving my car also which they

abandoned in another sector. I registered an FIR against the unknown

dacoits. After few months those dacoits were arrested in another dacoity in

Rawalpindi. I met them in Barakaho police centre. According to police

reports and investigation the dacoits had confessed the dacoity at my house

and disclosed that they have handed over the looted articles to Adnan

khawaja and sq.Ldr(Retd) khalid khwaja.On the intervention of the elders a

compromise was affected between us. Khalid Khwaja was the same person

who was alleged executed by Punjabi Taliban in April 2010 in Waziristan on

the pretext that he was an agent. He was also blamed for his alleged role in

Lal Masjid affair, it is unclear what role Khwaja played precisely in that

tragic event which took place during General Musharaf rule.

My father Sher Afzal Khan died on 8th Jan. 1980 at the age of seventy five

because of cancer and after spending almost one and a half years in a wheel

105

chair. He was a former Tennis and foot ball player and was winner of several

champion's trophies. He was a successful businessman and a

zamindar(Agriculturist) .He was owner of a construction company, his

company built the prestigious projects like Thanda dam kohat,Baran dam

Bannu,Pehur irrigation cannal and many other important defense projects for

Pakistan Army and Air Force through out Pakistan. He was director of state

bank o Pakistan in 1953 and one of the founder member and director of

Sarhad Bank with Ghulam Faruq Khan as its Chairman.

My grand father name was Akram Khan, he was also an agriculturist. My

father shared the ancestral joint family house in the Sulaiman Khel sector of

village Badrashi till 1963 with his brothers Sarwar Khan and Wali

Muhammad Khan and first cousin/brother in law Habib Ullah khan(Spin

Babajee) and nephews Nasrullah khan and Amanullah Khan.

My father constructed a house at Murree in 1950 and a house and Hujra at

Badrashi in 1963.Presently both these houses are joint family houses.

My father was a staunch nationalist and a religious man and had close

association with religious scholars of that period like Maulana Ahmad Ali

Lahori,Syed Ataullah shah Bukhari,Shorash kashmiri, Mufti

Mehmud,Maulana Abdul haq,Ghulam Ghous Hazarvi and Maulana Abdullah

Darkhawasti,Some of them were regular visitors at our house at Badrashi and

Murree.He was a great host and was famous for his hospitality. he used to

contribute a lot in the elections compaigns of those who used to contest

elections.

His ideal was Hazrat Umer Faruq,and was his great lover and used to quote

him always. In a letter written to my mother on 15th

October 1949 from

Madina while he was performing Hajj, he wrote that he was sitting beside the

graves of the Prophet Mohammad(PBUH) and Abu Bakr(R.A.W) and Umar

Faruq(R.A.W).He said that he was the lover of Umar Faruq and he prayed

that as muslims are very weak so ALLAH should send some one of Umer

Faruq qualities to help them.

The bond between my father and the ulema of Deoband was the hatred for

slavery and love for independence and religion. The ulema of Deoband were

the real freedom fighters like Khudai Khitmat gars led by Bacha khan.

My father was a regular visitor to Multan to meet Maulana Ataullah Shah

Bukhari.Shah sahib was a great freedom fighter and a famous orator. It is

said that thousands of people used to listen him in pin drop silence. Once in

his speech to a big gathering Maualana Attaullah Shah bukhari said that he

was ready to graze the herd of pigs on the condition that it destroys the

106

harvest of Britishers.

Once I accompanied my father to visit the grave of Ataullah Shah Bukhari in

Multan. At that time I was a school student, we reached Multan almost after

the sun set, my father stopped the car and asked some one in the bazar about

the location of the grave of Ataullah Shah Bukhari,the gentle man offered

that he will accompany us to the grave. On way back my father thanked him

and while dropping him off, that man introduced him self as son of Ataullah

Shah Bukhari.It seemed like a miracle.

I remember my father used to recite the Holy QURAN in loud voice during

long journeys. his driver Shah Husain kaka and servant Zareen kaka always

accompanied him Shah Husain kaka used to tell us very interesting stories

about our father. He said once they were intercepted by dacoits while they

were returning home from Pehur canal project in late hours, he was driving

and my father was sitting on the rear seat, the dacoit ordered my father to

hand over the brief case placed beside him on the rear seat, my father got

hold of the brief case and hit it on the chest of the robber as a result the dacoit

fell down and they drove away.

My father never participated in electoral politics him self. He was one of the

founder of Darul Uloom(Religious school) Haqania at Akora khattak.After

his death Maulana Abdul Haq(The Principal of Darul Uloom)said in a speech

in Darul Ulloom that Sher Afzal khan convinced and helped him and pulled

him out from the small madrasa in a village mosque which he was running

and gave the plan of Darul uloom Haqania.The said Darul Uloom is famous

for its role in teaching religion.

My brother Tariq khan told me that once Nasrullah khattak the chief minister

accompanied by Shamsher Ali khan our relative who at that time was the

commissioner of Peshawar came to Badrashi to meet my father for seeking

support from my father in the elections.Nasrullah was contesting elections

against Maulana Abdul Haq.Nasrullah said to my father that he was like his

son and my father should support him. My father replied that he had already

made commitment with ALLAH and he will support only those people who

promised shariah in Pakistan.

My father was a great admirer of Bacha khan, and used to tell us that never

allow any one to speak loose talk about Bacha khan in our presence.

My father was exceedingly stubborn (in the best sense of the term) and had a

commanding personality, he was as hard on himself as on others. He never

openly exhibited his love for his children. He was a strict disciplinarian and

could not tolerate incompetence and laziness and set a high standard of

morality and character in his personal life. He had studied in Islamia college

Peshawar. He was a strong and a very hard working man and was a pillar of

107

strength. After my father left this temporary abode , my eldest brother Usman

Ali Khan started looking after the family and business matters and he took

over as a head of the family. My other brothers are khurshid khan,Tariq

khan,Qurban khan and Riaz.Khurshid khan was the only one who opted to be

a government servant. He joined police service of Pakistan and retired as

Inspector General of police in 2009.

Once I asked Maulana Mufti Mehmud that was it possible to topple the

Bhutto government. I asked this question at our Badrashi house in the

presence of my father during anti Bhutto agitation by religious and political

parties, he said smilingly that if America wanted then any thing was possible

in Pakistan and he added the railway engine will halt on the railway

track,aeroplane will stop on the runway and the wheel will be jammed (payya

jam hartaal)in the factories and on the roads. I did not understand the depth in

his answer but with the passage of time and being myself interested in

politics and a student of politics ,I also found it out like many others that in

Pakistan it were not the people who made and unmade the governments,

people are only used by religious and political parties for that purpose.

Another incident which I still remember was that my father advised Maulana

Mufti Mehmud that while meeting Z.A Bhutto ,he should take the other

ulema(MNA,s)along with him so that they should get some exposure and

training as they were very simple people, Mufti Sahib replied that they were

not as simple as he thought they were, and added once they saw those

palaces, they would not accompany him back. later on it was proved that

Mufti Mehmud was right, his close associates left him in the power game.

Mufti Mehmud was a shrewd politician and the proof was that he was made

the chief Minister of Pukhtunkhwa with just five MPA,s even he himself was

not an MPA.It was a coalition government of JUI and ANP which was

formed after 1970 elections. My father had played a very important role in

the formation of that coalition as except Mufti Mehmud all other party

leaders were against making coalition government with ANP. My father and

Mufti Sahib views were similar. I remember Mufti Sahib and my father's

strong arguments in our house at Badrashi to convince other party men to

form coalition government with ANP.Afzal khan lala who was the provincial

head of ANP and the only MPA from Swat/Malakand Division at that time.

Later on he told me that he took the initiative to form a coalition government

with JUI,He discussed this issue with Wali Khan who was on a visit to Swat

at that time and then he talked to Maulana Gul Badshah of Mardan for the

first time in a mosque in Toru district Mardan.Maulana Gul Badshah was

provincial head of JUI at that time.

Bacha khan once asked my father how he found such a Pukhtun mula. He

108

was referring to Maulana Mufti Mehmud. Mufti sahib proved the saying of

Bacha khan when he resigned the chief minister ship in protest against

dismissal of ANP provincial government in Baluchistan and later rejected the

offer by Z.A Bhutto of becoming again the chief minister in new alliance

with PPP.

After resigning the Chief minister ship, Mufti sahib stayed for almost 2-3

weeks in Badrashi.Mufti sahib made a history in the politics of Pakistan by

resigning and than not accepting the chief ministry of a province.

Maulana Mufti Mehmud died in November 1980.I went to attend funeral and

Namaz e Janazah of Mufti Mehmud along with my cousin Omer Hayat in

his village Abdul Khel in Dera Ismail Khan. The proof of his simplicity and

honesty was that he used to live in a mud house. Such example of simplicity

and honesty is practically impossible to find in this unfortunate country

where corruption is not considered a crime at all.

Fazal ur Rehman was a student at Darul uloom Haqania Akora khattak in

those days.our village is just 20 minutes drive from Akora,He used to come

very regularly to our village. My younger brother Qurban used to teach him

driving. He was a young and a smart boy in those days. As Qurban was his

driving teacher, I think Fazal ur Rehman taught him some special political

tricks as a result Qurban contested 2002 elections and won the provincial

assembly election and remained MPA for five years during General

Musharaf rule.

I would like to share one very interesting incident with reference to Maulana

Fazal ur rehman.After 2002 elections he rang me up and said that I should

meet him as soon as possible. I went to see him, he was residing in a flat at

the back of Marriot hotel Islamabad. As MMA was the second largest party

in the parliament, Fazal ur Rehman was convassing for the premiership. He

told me that I should meet and convince General Retd. Naseerr Ullah babar

that he should not give any statement and pass any unfavorable comments

against him as this was very critical period, he briefed me also on some of his

statements and remarks.

Next day early in the morning I left Islamabad for Peshawar along with my

friend Abdul Muhammad Momand to meet General Babar. I informed him

about the purpose of my visit.Mr. Babar was famous for straight forwardness

and he was a proven brave and honest man. He narrate me an incident about

Fazal ur rehman that once Benazir Bhutto told him that Maulana Fazal ur

rehman was not happy and he has many reservations.Mr. Babar said that he

told Benazir that it was the most difficult job to make Fazal ur Rehman

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happy until and unless she surrender the keys of the treasury of the state bank

of Pakistan to him. General Babar briefed me about many other scandals too.

Final out come of our meeting was that he gave me assurance that he will not

give any statement and any comment about the maulana.I came back to

Islamabad and informed Fazal ur Rehman about the out come of my

meeting.Maulana seemed very happy and thanked me for my efforts.

On 22nd January 2008,the greatest tragedy in my life took place. My mother

died after spending just three days in Peshawar Hayatabad Medical Complex.

I was completely shattered and fell into severe depression. I experienced

great grief, and felt very lonely after her death, she was a pillar of love. The

nucleus of our family home and the epi centre of my life just gone and was

no more in my life. She left me just in few hours. Her passing away affected

my approach to life and particularly to my other close relations.

I used to talk to her daily on phone when I was performing Hajj and When I

was back from Hajj, she was perfectly alright.she had performed Hajj twice. I

was in Islamabad when I was told that she was taken to the hospital in

Peshawar from our village home. I remember I talked to her when she was on

her way to the hospital. when I reached Peshawar after two or three hours she

was okay. some thing got wrong in the early morning. there was no

electricity in the hospital with no back up system as a result we lost our most

loving and precious relation on Allah’s earth. I felt my self responsible for

my mother’s death. I must have shifted her to some better hospital and better

doctor. My mother died while reciting QURAAN.Her sons,daughters,grand

sons and grand daughters were all present beside her bed.Inna lilahi wa inna

elehi rajioon.May ALLAH bless her and rest her soul in eternal peace. May

ALLAH give my parents the best place in jannat-ul-Firdaus.My mother real

name was Hussan Zari,she was called BAABI by every one in the family and

in the village. She was the daughter of Ibrahim khan from Akakhel tribe. She

died at the age of 82 years. After the death of my mother, I sent a message to

all of my friends that don’t take for granted that your parents are alive. please

devote and involve your selves in their lives and give them maximum

comfort and time. I believe a mother is a duas producing machine for her

children. Remember once this mechanism is destroyed there will be no free

duas for you. Mother is the only relation which is based on a pure love, all

other relationship are based on give and take.

…………………………………....END……………………………….

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Testimonial Notes

This book is a sincere expression of love by Asif Ali Khan for his beleagured

pukhtun nation . The style is simple yet honestly portraying the predicament

of a nation whose unfortunate land is burning in the hell of International

intrigue and the vested interest.”

Professor Basharat.

Asif Ali Khan has been associated with Pukhtun politics since his college life

in the early seventies. He has remained a silent witness to many events ,

intrigues and misfortunes that has been bestowed upon our nation . I admire

his courage to make his recollections public in a very open and frank manner.

He has also done a great service to the Pukhtun nation by writing about our

history and heroes from a Puktun perspective.”

Jamal Uddin Khan.

Mr Asif Ali Khan is my dear friend.He is a discreet, brave(nangial of

Khushal Baba dream) emotional and outspoken person.His love for mother

tongue and mother land is exemplary. His association with nationalist politics

and his sound family roots and straight forward moral standards gave him the

courage to speak and write truth.This book is a useful contribution for

understanding Pukhtuns

Ghani Khattak

Former Chief Editor

National Assembly Pakistan.

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