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Khan Abdul Wali Khan (, 1917 , d. January 26 , 2006 ) was a controversial person in Pakistan politics. He was called hero, saint, traitor or villain at varying stages during his long political career. However with his recent death there has been increased appreciation from a cross section of society, including former bitter rivals, of his contribution to the politic of Pakistan. Writer Rahimullah Yousafzai wrote in his obituary ''"Wali Khan had many qualities. Unlike most politicians, he never sought power through the back door. There were temptations galore and offers were made to lure him but he made it clear time and again that he wasn't interested. In the truest sense of the word, he could neither be bought nor cowed down."''(Yousafzai, 2006) He lived for most of his life under the shadow of his influential father Badshah Khan , as a result his families close links with the Indian government and nationalist/communist Afghan governments led to the acusation of being a traitor. Although no charge was ever proven, his support for issues like provincial rights and democratic expression were perceived by Pro Military supporters as additional signs of his "anti-Pakistani activities". BACKGROUND Khan Abdul Wali Khan was one of the most politically active sons of Badshah Khan . Wali Khan was a senior politician in Pakistan . A secular politician he advocated progressive politics and political dialogue. He served as President of the National Awami Party (NAP), National Democratic Party and Awami National Party (ANP) for many years and served as as the ideological mentor (rehbar) of his party from 1991 till his death. He remained a strong proponent of renaming the North West Frontier Province Pakhtunkhwa as well as Pashtun and provincial rights throughout his life. Political Career in Brief
Early life Born on January 11, 1917 in Utmanzai town of Charsadda District, he received his early education from Azad Islamia High School which formed part of a chain of schools his father Bacha Khan prominent Pashtun freedom fighter Abdul Ghaffar Khan, commonly known as Bacha Khan, had launched to spread education among the Pakhtuns and later shifted to Irish government's Deradun Public School. He completed his Senior Cambridge in 1933. Early Politics In 1942 Khan formally stepped into the field of politics and commenced his political career from the platform of the Khudai Khidmatgar. He was arrested and charged under the Frontier Criminal Regulations in 1943 at the hands of the British authorities- the first of his many incarcerations. Prior to the creation of Pakistan, in 1947, Wali Khan remained member of the All India Congress Committee and was provincial joint secretary of the party. On June 15, 1948, he was arrested again and placed behind bars in Haripur jail in the NWFP, and after serving more than five years without charge in various jails he was released by the then central government in 1953. It was during this stint in prison in February 1949, when his first wife Taj Bibi died in Mardan Hospital along with their second son. Wali Khan was not allowed to attend her funeral. In February 1949, Wali Khan was shifted from Haripur jail to Mach jail in Balochistan and in May 1951 to Quetta jail and in 1952 to Dera Ismail Khan jail. He was brought back to Haripur jail in March 1952 from where he was set free on Oct 14, 1953. After his release, he initiated negotiations with the central government to allay apprehensions among the rulers about the Khudai Khidmatgar. In this connection, he held talks with the then NWFP Chief Minister Sardar Abdul Rashid and Prime Minister Muhammed Ali Bogra . In the end he held a series of meetings with the then Governor General Ghulam Mohammed . He successfully managed to secure release of hundreds of political prisoners belonging to the Khudai Khidmatgar movement (Amir 2006). His early politics after Pakistan's creation were said to be influenced by two events; one his elder brother Ghani Khan 's decision to withdraw from politics, the second his uncle Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan (known as Dr Khan Sahib ). Dr Khan Sahib preferred a more pragmatic approach to Pakistani politics and advocated a political reconciliation with Pakistan's establishment. His Uncle's assassination in front of a young Wali Khan in 1958 influenced him profoundly. After the first Military regime of Ayub Khan came to power in 1958, Wali Khan along with many other politicians at the time were imprisoned and disqualified from contesting elections or participating in politics. PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE Wali Khan served several stints in prison as well as surviving several assassination attempts during his 48 year long political career. The first time in his political career he was arrested under the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) by the then British Raj in 1943 for his role in the Khudai Khidmatgar movement. In 1948, he was once again arrested this time by the new Pakistani government and he was released in 1954. His third stint in prison was after Ayub Khan's Military government came into power. During that period he was disqualified from politics for a period of time. Wali Khan commented about his imprisonment to Ayub Khan's Information Secretary in 1969 shortly after the Democratic Action Committee's conference with Ayub Khan had finished. Gauhar wrote ''"Wali Khan narrated how Khawaja Shahabuddin asked him on three different occassions during the conference "how is it that I never met a bright and able person like you when I was Governor of NWFP for three years." Wali Khan let it oass on the first two occassions but on the third occassion he could not restrain himself and rejoined, "Because all those three years you kept me in prison!"'' (Gauhar 1998). This was followed by another brief arrest after Yahya Khan ousted Ayub Khan. It was during the Army action in East Pakistan that Wali Khan and the NAP was one of the few parties and groups to oppose the Military Operation. His final stint in prison was considered a more bitter experience. Arrested on the orders of Prime Minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, accused of treason and put on a trial for his alleged role in the "Hyderabad Conspiracy" and the murder of Sherpao along with close party colleagues, his party was banned and a brutal crackdown was launched against his family and friends. His brother in law was forced into exile, his son was tortured (Cowasjee 1998). In his book ''Facts are Sacred'', he wrote of his various stints in prison with some bitterness: ''"Much of this book was written during two spells in Jail, one under Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan 1n 1969 and next during the time of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1973. I was handicapped by the fact that I could not obtain the reference books I needed. During the second term especially, I regretted the time wasted. I was mostly in solitary confinement, and could have wholly devoted myself to writing. But under Bhutto, even pen and paper were often not available, leaving alone books."'' In addition to prison terms Wali Khan also survived four assassination attempts during his political career. One of the attempts occurred in Malakand and one in Dir and one each in Rawalpindi and Gujranwala . TRAITOR OR PATRIOT? Wali Khan has been criticized for backing separatist ideals as well as causing social unrest in Pakistan . His critics also blame him for alienation of Pashtuns from rest of Pakistan and for supporting "anti Pakistani forces". He remained tagged with the title of traitor by the state run Media and Pakistan's ruling establishment for much of his political career (Ahmed 2006). However writers like Ziring (1975) and Syed (1992) have rejected the charges against him, with Syed going a step further and arguing that the clash between the NAP under Wali Khan ''"was not a contest between the state of Pakistan and a seccessionist force..but was more like a clash of rival political wills".'' His supporters disagree and believe he promoted left of centre progressive and secular politics in Pakistan. Prior to his arrest in 1975 he was in fact striving for a more National role more in line with his position as Leader of the Opposition in Politics and he had started campaigning heavily in Punjab and Sind, where he was attracting large crowds. However in his statements he left a certain ambiguity in his policies,in 1972 when a journalist questioned to where his first allegiance was his reply was ''"I have been a Pashtun for six thousand years, a Muslim for thirteen hundred years, and a Pakistani for twenty-five."'' However at the same time prior to the 1990 general elections, he stated ''"The survival of the federation is the main issue in this election. Everyone considers themselves a Sindhi or Pashtun or Punjabi first. Nobody considers themselves a Pakistani. There has to be greater provincial autonomy"'' Despite this he also worked well with many politicians from Punjab including prominent Muslim Leaguers like Sardar Shaukat Hayat Khan and Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi (father of former Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain ) and in particular with Baluch politicians especially Sardar Ataullah Mengal and Sherbaz Mazari . The Baloch leaders and Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai and Mufti Mahmud had been companions and allies of Wali Khan at one time or another. Achakzai parted ways with him when Wali Khan befriended Khair Bakhsh Marri, Ghous Bakhsh Bizenjo and Ataullah Mengal . He felt, as Pakhtun nationalist critics of him feel, Wali Khan had squandered a chance to unite all Pakhtuns in NWFP, Balochistan and FATA into one big province that could be named Pakhtoonkhwa or Pakhtunistan ( he was to face additional criticism for his "betrayal of his langauge" because of the NAP decision to declare urdu the provincial language of instruction in NWFP and Baluchistan). He was also tagged with the accusation of being a communist, he was in fact more of a secular Pashtun Nationalist, his falling out with Baloch Leader Ghous Bizenjo in the late 70's can be traced from his disillusionment with Communism. The role of his ministers in the NAP-JUI government was more pro-business especially in contrast to the Socialist programme that the Federal government under the PPP was simultaneaously launching. Wali Khan and by extension his party and family had a long association with senior leaders in the Congress Party of India because of his fathers close association with Mohandas Gandhi . The preference for dialogue over conflict with India and his links to the country also strengthened the impression that he was anti-Pakistan amongst the more strident anti Indain elements in the Punjab. In addition his opposition for the Pakistan-US backed Afghan jihad and support for President Najeebullah damaged his standing amongst many conservative Pashtuns and conservative Pakistanis. POLITICS: THE AYUB ERA 1958-1969 As part of the COP (Combined Opposition Party), the NAP under Wali Khans increasing influence supported the candidature of Fatima Jinnah (sister of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah ) against Military dictator Ayub Khan. Wali Khan supported the COP because of it's political manifesto which advocated the restoration of adult franchise, provincial rights and the dissolution of the controversial One Unit scheme. The election campaign proved a failure, in part because of rigging alleged by the Central government and also because of divisions in the opposition. In particlular in the NAP divisions between Wali Khan and Maulana Bhashani, Bhashani was alleged to have unofficially supported Ayub Khan because of the his governments pro China policy. These divisions came to the surface in 1967 with the split of the NAP into Wali Khan and Bhashani groups. Wali Khan was elected President of his own faction of the NAP in June 1968. Upon the outbreak of popular unrest in Pakistan against Ayub Khan 's rule. Wali Khan along with most of the opposition parties including Sheikh Mujeeb , Nawabzada Nasrullah and others formed the Democratic Action Committee with the exceptions of Zulfiqar Bhutto and Maulana Bhashani . Attempted to provide Ayub Khan with an honurable exit, negotiations between Ayub and the opposition continued on May 9th and May 10th 1969. However despite a compromise agreement on some issues it is alleged that the Military leadership and it's political allies did not want Ayub to succeed. Wali Khan held a separate meeting with Ayub Khan on the 11th of May to impress on him the need for the disbanding of the One Unit. Ayub refused, and shortly afterwards had to resign under pressure by the Military. THE YAHYA KHAN ERA 1969-1971 Wali Khan was elected to both the provincial Assembly as Member of Provincial Assembly and as Member of National Assembly in the 1970 elections from his home constituency of Charsadda. In the 1970 elections, the NAP swept Baluchistan and won a plurality in NWFP. However the Awami League's poll victory was going to be rejected by the Military government. Shocked upon hearing the news from Bhutto: Wali later recalled, ''"I remember Bhutto said that it had been arranged with the 'powers that are' that in East Pakistan Sheikh Mujibur Rahman would rule, and in West Pakistan, Mr. Bhutto would be the Prime Minister."'' In an attempt to avert a possible showdown between the Military and the people of East Pakistan on March 23rd 1971 Khan along with four other West Pakistani politicians Mian Mumtaz Daulatana,Maulana Mufti Mahmood , Maulana Ahmed Shah Noorani and Sardar Shaukat Hayat Khan jointly met Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at his residence. On these meetings of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with the West Pakistani leaders Bhutto wrote in his book the following which were later quoted by Kamal Hossain while giving a detailed account of what happened during the continuance of the dialogues: ''"He told me that he now realised that the People's Party was the only force in West Pakistan and the other politicians of West Pakistan were wasting his time. He volunteered the information that he had rebuked all of them except Khan Abdul Wali Khan, whose party at least represented one province."'' But, it was already too late to break the impasse, as Yahya Khan had already decided on a full scale Military crackdown. During the long crackdown and the subsequent war with India, the National Awami Party opposed the military operation and in retaliation the party was banned by Yahya Khan (see National Awami Party(Wali) ). POLITICS: THE BHUTTO ERA 1972-1977 Tripatriate Agrement As leader of the largest party in the National Assembly Opposition, Wali Khan's negotiations with Bhutto led to the signing of the joint NAP-JUI with the PPP in 1972, called the tripatriate agreement. The agreement led to the lifting of Martial law and the formation of NAP-JUI provincial governments in NWFP and Baluchistan. Despite the initial positive start, the NAP-JUI government in Baluchistan was dismissed by the Federal government, while the NWFP, NAP-JUI government was toppled through defections engineered by the Federal government. Liaqat bagh Massacre On March 23, 1973, the Federal Security Force paramilitary force under the alleged orders of Bhutto attacked an opposition public rally at the Liaquat Bagh in the town of Rawalpindi and mowed down some one dozen people and wounded many more with their automatic gunfire, Wali Khan narrowly escaped a bullet during the attack. The public emotions were running very high in the province, as almost all the dead and most of the wounded were from the NWFP, mostly belonging to the Khan’s NAP. The enraged cadres of the NAP wanted to parade the dead bodies on the streets in Peshawar and other cities of the province, and provoke a full sclae confrontation. But Wali Khan firmly put his foot down, sternly held back his infuriated party cadres,escorted the dead bodies to Peshawar and had them buried quietly and solemnly by their bereaved families in their ancestral places. Framing the Constitution Wali Khan subsequent to the tripatriate agreement was appointed leader of Opposition by the joint agreement of all the Opposition. He then led negotiations with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto for the passage of a unanimous constitution. Despite disagreements over various issues ranging from provincial rights to the renaming of NWFP, according to federal negotiator Pirzada, Wali Khan preferred a compromise with the precondition that issues of Judicial independence and provincial rights would be granted by the federal government after transition periods of five and ten years. RELATIONSHIP WITH ZULFIQAR ALI BHUTTO His relationship with PPP leader and Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was characterised by bitterness. Wali Khan accused Zulfiqar Bhutto of attempting to arrange his assassination and used to criticise the Prime Minister for his "fascist tendencies" by calling him "''Adolph Bhutto''". In one memorable debate between the two rivals Bhutto had just returned from a very successful trip abroad and in a confrontational mood he lashed out at the opposition and its leader for slowing him down. When Bhutto was done, Wali Khan responded: ''"Mr. Bhutto, you stop telling lies about me and I will stop telling the truth about you."'' After the death of ZA Bhuttos close ally in the NWFP, Hayat Sherpao, in a bomb blast. The Federal government banned the National Awami Party and ordered the arrest and imprisonment of most of it's senior leadership including Wali Khan. Wali Khan and his colleagues were put on trial by the widely discredited Hyderabad tribunal (Newburg 1995). Refusing to particpate in what he believed was a farcical trial Wali Khan instead withdrew from any defence. Still his wry sense of humour remained, as his reaction to one of the charges before the Hyderabad Tribunal, that he had been sent Rs 20 million by Indira Gandhi, then Indian PM, through a certain emissary. He filed a civil suit against the emissary for the recovery of those Rs 20 million, arguing that while could not imagine why Indira would send him such a sum, he had not got the money, and obviously the emissary had embezzled money which should have come to him (Niazi 2006). The tribunal was subsequently disbanded by Zia-ul Haq after the coup of 1977. The brutality in which Wali Khan and his family experienced during his imprisonment led to little sympathy from him for the plight of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who was facing execution. Wali Khan is reported to have said to the BBC: ''"there is one grave and two people (meaning Zia or Bhutto) lets see which gets buried".'' POLITICS: THE ZIA ERA 1977-1988 After being freed in 1977, Wali Khan joined the National Democratic Party (NDP) which was led at the time by Sherbaz Mazari and had many former NAP colleagues as members. He refused the post of President preferring to work as an ordinary political worker. Preferring the politics of principles he and his party refused many an offer to join the Zia government as well as one offer to become the head of an interim National government (Mazari 1999). Despite that at the time that many of his political allies had already been co-opted by the offers of Ministries. He later on became one of the founders of the Movement of Restoration of Democracy in 1981. Referendum Boycott As part of the (MRD), Wali Khan supported the joint decision to boycott the referendum held by Zia ul Haq. The boycott was successful, and turn out in the referendum was poor. However the confidence it gave the opposition proved costly in the 1985 partyless elections. 1985 elections Zia's decisiont to hold partyless elections in 1985 proved a milestone in Pakistan's political history. Fresh from the success of the refernedum boycott the MRD decided to boycott the partyless elections despite other leaders suggestions to use jointly contest it and use it as another platform to put pressure on the Military government. The boycott proved a mistake, the MRD was hit by defections and turnout in the elections proved relatively high. Awami National Party In july 1986 Wali Khan and other former NAP members merged their parties and formed the Awami National Party . The ANP under Wali Khans Presidency contested the 1988 national elections in alliance with former rivals the PPP. The ANP's success in the elections was limited to the NWFP and certain parts of the Province in that election in addition Wali Khan lost his provincial seat to a PPP candidate, a sign of the decline in popularity and the growing electoral strength of the PPP. The ANP subsequently formed a coalition government with PPP leader Aftab Sherpao as Chief Minister of NWFP and at the Federal level. The ANP-PPP alliance collapsed in 1989 after a perceived snub by PPP leader and Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and a dispute over Ministerial posts and the governorship of NWFP. After joining the opposition, the Wali Khan started talks with the Army backed IJI (Islamic Democratic Alliance) and joined the alliance for the 1990 elections. POST RETIREMENT POLITICS After his defeat in the 1990 elections at the hands of a combined opposition candidate Maulan Hasan Jan (a close confidante of Gulbadin Hekmatyar ) Wali Khan opted to retire from electoral politics and turned down a senate ticket from his party and the offer from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of contesting from Lahore . When asked his reason for retirement, he said that he had no place in politics ''“when the mullahs and ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) decide our destiny and politics”.'' As Wali Khan withdrew from active politics, his contact with the press and public became quite limited. The exception was in 1998 when in response to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's announcement of the construction of Kalabagh Dam Wali Khan led a massive rally against the dam in Nowshera. The rally spurred other parties in particular Benazir Bhutto's PPP into leading a campaign against the construction of the dam. The campaign was successful and Nawaz Sharif dropped the plan. In another press conference in 2001, Wali Khan showed once again his preference for secular politics over populism. Despite popular Pashtun sympathy for their fellow kinsmen facing the brunt of the US attack post 9-11. Khan Abdul Wali Khan addressed a press conference in Peshawar. In that meeting Wali Khan said that had the US not attacked Afghanistan, the country would have turned into an Arab colony since Osama Bin Laden had a well-equipped army of 16,000 people which far outnumbered the trained soldiers in the Afghan army (Ahmed 2006) Wali Khans final press conference was in 2003 when he announced his close friend and colleague Ajmal Khattak 's rejoing the ANP along with many other colleagues who had briefly led a splinter between the 2000-2002 period. Wali Khan passed away on the 26th of January 2006 after a long illness. True to the political traditions of his family, his eldest son Asfandyar Wali Khan is now a well respected politician in Pakistani political circles and the present President of the Awami National Party. REFERENCES
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