Afghanistan And Pakhtuns' Destiny

[ijaz yousafzai]

God bless Ahmad Shah Baba and his Kandaharis brothers, If it was not for them we would be Dari speakers right now.

Yes,true. But his son Taimoor Shah had no hearty affinity with Pakhtuns. He feared Paindakhel and shifted his capital from Kandahar to Kabul. He encouraged and promoted Parsi and appointed it as his court language. He had many wives, one of them was Yousafzai, while the rest were all Parsiwan.

Before that a farce referendum was imposed on the Pakhtuns on 20th July, 1947 by the British viceroy Lord Mountbatten, asking the Pakhtuns to choose between India and Pakistan. The Khudai Khidmatgars boycotted the referendum, as they declared that the issues were of no concern to the Pakhtuns in the absence of a third option of “Azad Pakhtunistan”. S. Fida Yunas (Ibid), adds, “…Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan said that the frontiers Pathans had their own distinct history and culture, and this could not be preserved unless they had full freedom to maintain and develop their own institutions. They, therefore claimed that the plebiscite should not be on the basis of a choice between Pakistan and India but there should be a third alternative of an independent Pakhtunistan….a state of their own ….as they feared the domination of the Punjab”. Shahsawar Sangarwal observes in “Da Afghanistan Da Tareekhi Jughrafeye Sarangwalay”, “The Afghan government kept silent on the question of referendum in 1947. If Afghan government wanted the Eastern Pakhtuns could be enfolded with, either peaceful means or by the use of force. Afghanistan had a regular disciplined army and the new Pakistan was dependent on the British-Indian army which was under the process of transition, therefore it was unable to offer resistance”. The learned analyst believes that such passive attitude of King Zahir Shah was a great historical crime. Another Afghan political observer, Ghulam Mohammad Zarmalwal, opines in his work, “Afghanistan,-Tar Wrostee Afghana”, “Afghan government has been playing games with its Pakhtun population by rendering only lip-service to the cause of Pakhtunistan, by merely naming a Chowk and observing a Day, housing a few political exiles, and doing nothing more”.

Why didnt the Khudai Khidmatgaran ask to unify with Afghanistan instead? Why didnt they just say give us Afghanistan as a choice?

I have answered it in the main article. When Indian partition was in the offing, Afghan rulers discouraged the prospect of United Afghanistan. They did not claim back its occupied territory. Afghan envoy to the United Nations opposed Pakistan entry to the UN, demanding a plebiscite in Pakhtunkhwa to either (1) join Pakistan or (2) Pakhtunistan. He did not even put the option of United Afghanistan on the cards. This was being done to discourage the Pakhtuns of Pakhtunkhwa to join Afghanistan on political ground and to appease Parsiwans. Bacha Khan ,palping the minds of the Afghan rulers, therefore gathered the Khudai Khidmatgars in Bannu in July 1947, and adopted the Bannu Resolution, asking for " Independent Pakhtunistan". However , suddenly Afghanistan lifted its opposition to the entry of Pakistan to the UN and did not object to the Referendum in "NWFP" in 1947 which was void of the options of Pakhtunistan or United Afghanistan. Left in the lurch, the Khudai Khidmatgars made a political summersault by making allegiance to Pakistan.In my little wisdom, I think that Bacha Khan has made two big blunders, namely; (1) Merger of Khudai Khidmatgars with Indian Congress in 1930 and (2) Leaving the stance on Independent Pakhtunistan due to indifference and cold shoulder treatment by Afghanistan and saving his weary people from the persecution of the " Wolves". nor bya

[Badlun]

Very succintly the problem is identifies by ijaz in these lines. I congratulate him on having such candid thoughts, analysis and realistic approach.


This is our real dilemma.WE are being eaten up by Urdu on one side and by Parsi on the other. We need true Pakhtun leadership on both sides of the infamous Durand. A maxim in Pashto says, che " Mara kheta Parsi waayee", means a Pakhtun when gets prosperous, then he converts to Parsi. Similar is the case with Pakhtuns of Eastern side to switch over to Urdu. We desperately need true leadership,instilling Pakhtun nationalism and modern education with our Pakhtun national ferver, otherwise we will be subdued by a minority in Afghanistan and swallowed by quagmire of majority in Pakistan.

[khyaal]

I have answered it in the main article. When Indian partition was in the offing, Afghan rulers discouraged the prospect of United Afghanistan. They did not claim back its occupied territory. Afghan envoy to the United Nations opposed Pakistan entry to the UN, demanding a plebiscite in Pakhtunkhwa to either (1) join Pakistan or (2) Pakhtunistan. He did not even put the option of United Afghanistan on the cards. This was being done to discourage the Pakhtuns of Pakhtunkhwa to join Afghanistan on political ground and to appease Parsiwans. Bacha Khan ,palping the minds of the Afghan rulers, therefore gathered the Khudai Khidmatgars in Bannu in July 1947, and adopted the Bannu Resolution, asking for " Independent Pakhtunistan". However , suddenly Afghanistan lifted its opposition to the entry of Pakistan to the UN and did not object to the Referendum in "NWFP" in 1947 which was void of the options of Pakhtunistan or United Afghanistan.

Look, It all depended on the political struggle of Khudai khidmatgaar movement to have an agenda for re-unification with its parent land Afghanistan, but you can never prove that Khudai Khidmatgaar movement ever had any such motive or agenda. All their efforts were directed at keeping India intact. At most they demanded for Independent Pakhtunistan when it had already been decided by the British that Pashtun had to join either India or Pakistan. Banu Resolution, on the 21st July 1947, was their last desperate move to demand for self rule. On 17th August 1947 Bacha khan met with Jinnah and recanted from his previous stand adopted under Banu Resolution. By the way, Pakistan became a member of the UN on 30th September 1947.

Afghanistan, rationally speaking could not demand for the land where as Pakhtun movement, itself, wasn't ready for any such step. This should have been Khudai Khidmatgar movement's part of manifesto to ask for merger with Afghanistan which could provide Afghanistan a basis to reclaim Pashtun/afghan’s occupied territory to the east of the Durand line. Your rhetoric couldn't convince anybody that it was Afghanistan's fault.

Left in the lurch, the Khudai Khidmatgars made a political summersault by making allegiance to Pakistan.

By the way you had skipped this in your earlier posts that Bacha khan abandoned his demand for Independent Pakhtunsitan.

In my little wisdom, I think that Bacha Khan has made two big blunders, namely; (1) Merger of Khudai Khidmatgars with Indian Congress in 1930 and (2) Leaving the stance on Independent Pakhtunistan due to indifference and cold shoulder treatment by Afghanistan and saving his weary people from the persecution of the " Wolves". nor bya

You can’t show us any the political literature of the time that khudai khidmatgaar movement ever had any plan to rejoin its parent land, Afghanistan. If they had any such plan it could compel Afghanistan to claim for its occupied territory in the UN, but unfortunately this was not the case. And the lack of any agenda for unification is an ample proof that Pashtun movement had lost contact with its history. If Afghanistan was any indifferent to Pakhtun movement, then it should have further necessitated the creation of an independent Pakhtunsitan, recanting their demand for an independent Pakshtunistan based on Banu Resolution can’t logically be justified with the cold behavior of Afghanistan, this seems absurd.

Another thing, when in 1968, the then martial law ruler General Yahya Khan decided to abolish One Unit and restore provinces, Khan Shaheed Abdus Samad khan, after his release from prison, met with Wali khan, the leader of NAP and the heir of Khudai Khidmatgaar movement, and requested him for a demand from the government for the merger of Governer’s Province of Balochistan (Balochistan is/was a misnomer and it consisted 90 percent of Pashtun Population) into NWFP, Wali khan declined his request.

Khan Shaheed Abdul Samad Khan’s letters to late Ajamal Khattak are a testimony to the indifference of the NAP leadership over this vital issue of unification of Pakhtnun’s in Pakistan.

Such issues clearly prove that we can’t blame afghan governments for our own follies and lack of vision.

[BLS_1919v2.0]

Look, It all depended on the political struggle of Khudai khidmatgaar movement to have an agenda for re-unification with its parent land Afghanistan, but you can never prove that Khudai Khidmatgaar movement ever had any such motive or agenda. All their efforts were directed at keeping India intact. At most they demanded for Independent Pakhtunistan when it had already been decided by the British that Pashtun had to join either India or Pakistan. Banu Resolution, on the 21st July 1947, was their last desperate move to demand for self rule. On 17th August 1947 Bacha khan met with Jinnah and recanted from his previous stand adopted under Banu Resolution. By the way, Pakistan became a member of the UN on 30th September 1947.

Afghanistan, rationally speaking could not demand for the land where as Pakhtun movement, itself, wasn't ready for any such step. This should have been Khudai Khidmatgar movement's part of manifesto to ask for merger with Afghanistan which could provide Afghanistan a basis to reclaim Pashtun/afghan’s occupied territory to the east of the Durand line. Your rhetoric couldn't convince anybody that it was Afghanistan's fault.




By the way you had skipped this in your earlier posts that Bacha khan abandoned his demand for Independent Pakhtunsitan.




You can’t show us any the political literature of the time that khudai khidmatgaar movement ever had any plan to rejoin its parent land, Afghanistan. If they had any such plan it could compel Afghanistan to claim for its occupied territory in the UN, but unfortunately this was not the case. And the lack of any agenda for unification is an ample proof that Pashtun movement had lost contact with its history. If Afghanistan was any indifferent to Pakhtun movement, then it should have further necessitated the creation of an independent Pakhtunsitan, recanting their demand for an independent Pakshtunistan based on Banu Resolution can’t logically be justified with the cold behavior of Afghanistan, this seems absurd.

Another thing, when in 1968, the then martial law ruler General Yahya Khan decided to abolish One Unit and restore provinces, Khan Shaheed Abdus Samad khan, after his release from prison, met with Wali khan, the leader of NAP and the heir of Khudai Khidmatgaar movement, and requested him for a demand from the government for the merger of Governer’s Province of Balochistan (Balochistan is/was a misnomer and it consisted 90 percent of Pashtun Population) into NWFP, Wali khan declined his request.

Khan Shaheed Abdul Samad Khan’s letters to late Ajamal Khattak are a testimony to the indifference of the NAP leadership over this vital issue of unification of Pakhtnun’s in Pakistan.

Such issues clearly prove that we can’t blame afghan governments for our own follies and lack of vision.

Why did wali khan decline this request, it made perfect rational sense.

[khyaal]

Why did wali khan decline this request, it made perfect rational sense.

I don't know why Wali khan didn't take a stand on the issue. But I'll tell you about another shocking thing. Dr. Khan Saib, the elder brother of Bacha khan, who had remained the twice elected Chief Minister of the province during the governments of Khudai Khidmatgaar both in 1937 and 1946, opted to become the Chief Minister of the West Pakistan after the abolition of provinces and the promulgation of One Unit in 1955. Could we explain this too? Was this also a reaction to Afghanistan's indifference?