Bacha Khan International Airport

[Digital Malang]

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar International Airport has been renamed as Bacha Khan International Airport.

The Awami National Party (ANP) leaders celebrated the renaming in the Airport Executive Lounge in a cake-cutting ceremony. ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan was the chief guest on the occasion.

Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti, ANP provincial chief Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Senior Minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour, Senator Zahid Khan and Minister for Information and Culture Mian Iftikhar Hussain were present on the occasion.

Asfandyar Wali had announced at his party’s public meeting in Peshawar on Thursday that the Peshawar airport was being renamed as the Bacha Khan airport after freedom fighter Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=89931&Cat=2

PESHAWAR: The international airport for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s capital Peshawar has been named after legendary Pashtun leader Bacha Khan.
The announcement was made on Friday by Awami National Party’s Asfandyar Wali Khan at a short ceremony held at the airport. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had earlier approved that the airport will be renamed.
According to a press statement, the ceremony was held at the lounge of the airport and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, Senator Afrasyab Khattak and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain were present.

Earlier, at a public gathering in Peshawar on Thursday, the ANP chief had announced that the airport will be renamed.
The airport was made an international airport in 1965, and is served by middle-east’s best airlines including Emirates, Ettihad, Qatar Airways and GulfAir.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/328025/peshawars-international-airport-renamed-after-bacha-khan/

[tor_khan]

The positive aspect of this is that Bacha Khan's name becomes centre-stream in Pakistan after way too many years pushed aside. Of course he was viewed with hostility by the authorities because of his nationalist calls so this is a significant step by many accounts.

[Arghawaani]

A step forward. A name as such constantly under the light gives way to more research and analysis of not only the plight of the Pakhtun people, but also the legend that an individual as Bacha Khan leaves behind.

[Digital Malang]

Some of us may think that changing names would not make a major change but we should not forget that raindrops make rivers

[Zayam]

...and I so love Bacha Khan!

[takari_sharsi]

mashallah der sha khabara da.

[takari_sharsi]

Bacha Khan is equal to best pashtun in world.

[MostafaM]

I don´t understand this hype around Bacha Khan.

Being non-violent goes against the core principles of logic (defending yourself), Islam and Pakhtunwali.

And what should he be respected for?
For choosing Pakistan over Afghanistan when Pakistan was established?

Or for being imprisoned by Pakistan?

Or being close with the PDPA-regime of Karmal?

I don´t get it, what has the ANP done for Pashtuns in the last 65 years except for selling their national interests out by accepting Pakistans souvereignity over KPK?

[asad71]

I had always thought Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, the Frontier Gandhi, was fondly titled as General Badshah Khan by the Pashtuns.

[tor_khan]

I don´t understand this hype around Bacha Khan.

Being non-violent goes against the core principles of logic (defending yourself), Islam and Pakhtunwali.

And what should he be respected for?
For choosing Pakistan over Afghanistan when Pakistan was established?

Or for being imprisoned by Pakistan?

Or being close with the PDPA-regime of Karmal?

I don´t get it, what has the ANP done for Pashtuns in the last 65 years except for selling their national interests out by accepting Pakistans souvereignity over KPK?

The flipside to your first argument is that violence will not give you the basics of a healthy educated society, stability and functioning institutions.

Bacha Khan's example - that Muslims could be both pious and at peace with themselves rather than being sold into division and the perpetual state of war that others would have for us, is just as relevant today.

[Afghanistan2010]

PESHAWAR: The international airport for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s capital Peshawar has been named after legendary Pashtun leader Bacha Khan.
The announcement was made on Friday by Awami National Party’s Asfandyar Wali Khan at a short ceremony held at the airport. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had earlier approved that the airport will be renamed.
According to a press statement, the ceremony was held at the lounge of the airport and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, Senator Afrasyab Khattak and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain were present.

That's all very well,but what about this in red.

[MostafaM]

The flipside to your first argument is that violence will not give you the basics of a healthy educated society, stability and functioning institutions.

Bacha Khan's example - that Muslims could be both pious and at peace with themselves rather than being sold into division and the perpetual state of war that others would have for us, is just as relevant today.

The flipside to your arguement is that a sociaty that cannot protect it´s achievements will be colonized and subjugated, specially in modern times where the number of your population doesn´t really matter.

India´s non-violent struggle was that general strikes and their huge population number. They ruined the Brit´s economic gains.

What can Pashtuns do if an army is standing at their gates?

Strength comes from within. Pashtun´s division is based on lack of interaction between the main Pashtun population blocks of Loya Kandahar, Loya Paktia and Loya Mashreqi regions.

Badscha Khans movement led Pashtuns in KPK into slavery.
It doesn´t matter how a slave feels peaceful inside, he is subjugated, mentally and physically.

[Catya Sher]

OH, NO !
TERRIBLE NEWS -
I am really upset - I never want to fly in there, ever,
with a very unfortunate choice of name like that.

Digital Malang is right about the importance of having the correct name,
SPIRITUALLY correct, of course.

Mostafa 1919 is largely right

[KhyberKhan]

more BS symbolism, first NWFP re-naming now Airport. Doesn't exactly put food on the table for those who are still suffering from the floods. Although this will keep a few ANP pen pushers in a job for a while and that's all that matters to them.

When are they going to actually do something on the groud instead of going all PPP stylee and re-naming everything like they did with Islamabad airport ro Benazir International Airport. Few years down the line when there's another political $hit-storm, everything will get re-named again, undoubtedtly.

Anyway, does anyone know what the code as changed to? I know Peshawar airport was PEW but what will it be changed to?... BKI?

[Afghanistan2010]

And brother Khyber,its not even their own effort,but only the Pakistani puppet allowed them only then they were allowed to change the name,they can not even change a name without permission.