Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai

ABDUL SAMMAD KHAN ACHAKZAI
Posted by Arif Jan Khan Umerzai

Freedom is the most expensive word in the world becouse Mr.Human has paid more then any thing to have it and keep it.From centuries individuals and nations are fighting to achive the glory of freedom.Those who are working for freedom are the most holy persons in the world.
Pashtoon nation also had great leaders whose leadership brought prosperity and liberty to the nation.

Pashtoon pioneers and freedom fighters like Bayazeed Roshan,Khushal Khan Khattak,Sher sha suri,Mirwais Neka,Ghazi Amanullah Khan,Khan Abdul Ghafar khan Bacha Khan and Baba e Pashtoon Khan e Shaheed Khan Abdul samad Khan Achakzai fought for the freedom of Afghan pashtoon nation and lived thier lives for one cause that was to keep the nation independent and live like an honorable human bieng on thier home land.

In 1907 on south Pashtoonkhwa(balochistan) horizon,a bloom star was born,showing sign for liberty,equality fraternity and sovereignty through son of soil,Khan addus samad khan Achakzai,born simultaneously in the pious priest family of Maulana Noor Mohammad Khan and Begum Noor Mohammad Khan at Inayatullah Karez near Gulistan,close to quetta.Maulana Noor Mohammad Achakzai imparted to his son samad best of religiouse and academic education to meet the challanges of the closing 19th century and beginning of the 20th century,Samad Achakzai proved worthy of trust reposed in him,by his parents.Samad acquired Knowledge of rekigiouse education at home and then modern education available at Govt School Gulistan.Samad excelled in both which broadened his horizon to handle hazardous personal and political life.


TENDER AGE:-

At tender age of 10 inspired by his political inborn instinct samad led school student's procession to protest against British imperialists about Afghanistan and Khilafat Movement.Student's procession went on well without voilence,as he firmly believed in non-voilence amply proved by his political career,all his life.His successful students procession at Gulistan,however provoked Quetta-pashin political Agent( a single office,Combining pelf and power of collector,Dietric Magistrate,Deputy Commissioner and PA with full control over tribes and tribal territory under his area of administration).Samad was reprimanded.His parents were warned against this samad's semi political activity,believed to be prejudicail to the British Balochistan.Seed of politics already shown in samad by leading student's procession at tender age of 10,had taken shape of a political sapling.This political sapling led is to samads first lading in prison as a political prisoner in Quetta for 28 days.It so happend,when Khan Samad Achakzai raised a group of like-minded young men from balochistan to back Ghazi Amanullah khan of Afghanistan against whom British imperialists had conspired to topple him khan samad khan and his colleagues were let off,from Quetta only when the British Imperrialists succeeded in Amanullah's outer from Afghanistan.

DEVIATION:-

Then British Govt: made an abortive attempt at deviating Khan samad Achakzai from his path of politics by offering him the post of Extra Assistant Commissioner(EAC) at chaman.pak-Afghan border town as well as chieftain of Achakzai tribe.He declined both these offers and decided on continuing his political journey and political career under extremely difficult exceptional circumstances.

POLITICAL JOURNEY:-

Khan Samad's journey begain from Balochistan to punjab in 1929.As a Voraciouse reader with an eagle eye on current affairs,Mr.Samad Achakzai had attained political maturity,as a teenager, on account of two earth moving events.One was Russian revolution in Oct 1917.Russain Revolutionary labour party, BOLSHVIC against imperialist Czar of Russia, brought in to being union of Soviet Socialist Republic(USSR).
1917 october Revolution freed subjugated nations of Russia on the principle of self-determination and equality of nation from the imperialist forces.it emancipated enslaved Russians and established thier own Republics, where with thier own free will, formed USSR, setting practical example of political ideals for national and socail freedom. Such development as the evalution of USSR, had a political impact on the political philosophy of Khan Samad Achakzai who firmed believed in the freedom of Nations from the Yoke of British imperialism.

PASHTOON NATIONALISTS:-

As a Pashtoon nationalist, Khan Samad Achakzai accompanied by his two colleagues Qazi Mohammad Qahir Khan and Obaidullah Khan journeyed to lahore in Dec 1929, to listen to indain nationalists including Dr.Saifullah Kuchlo and Sonobar Hussain Mohmand at annual Congregation of Indain Congress. Influenced by Indain Congress Congregation at Lahore, Khan on his return to Quetta, Launched his political movement with first public meeting in the city Mosque. Quetta Mosque meeting led to the arrest of Khan Samad Khan Achakzai and his two other political activists..Abdul Salam Khan and Mr. Mohammad Ayub Khan. In 1930, Khan Samad Khan was commited to Pashtoon Jirga in Quetta. The Jirga convicted him and sentenced him to Two years R.I. The Jirga found him guilty of attending a political meeting at Lahore under the aegis of Indain Congress and others and distributing Political litrature in Balochistan on his return from Lahore. The Jirga also found him guilty of addressing a sort of political meeting at a mosque in Quetta. There was ban on freedom of expression and freedom of press in British Balochistan. He underwent imprisonment at prison in Quetta and mach,for eleven months. Later on his release in 1931, Khan Samad Khan Achakzai, went all the way from balochistan to Bombay, hub of political activity. At Bombay Khan Samad Khan met Mahatma Gandhi and presented to him a Pamphlet prepared by him, partaining to Balochistan problums Mahatma Gandhi's Secretary Mr. Pyre lal translated Khan Samad's Urdu version of the Pamphlet in to English. Printing and publication of Khan Samad's pamphlet cost was borne by Mahatma Gandhi him self. It was very well circulated in the political and press circles for proper projection and publicity through print media. At Khan Samad's meeting with Mr. Gandhi before his deaprture for round table conference in London for India's independence, were present Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan Bacha Khan, Barrister Ahmad Shah, Amir Mohammad Khan and other's.

TURNING POINT:-

Khan Samad's meeting with Gandhi Ji and Khan Abdula Ghafar Khan turned out to be a turning point in his political fight for freedom. Khan Samad Khan Aslo had an oppotunity of meeting with Dr. Mohammad Iqbal in Lahore. The punjab press gave him full blast publicity and boosted his political morale for liberty equality fraternity and sovereignty of people. He continued his fight for freedom on balochistan soil, Rendered supreme sacrifies and maintained relentless struggle for freedom of expression and freedom of press, till he was captured in Quetta in 1942 on false and fabricated charges. Samad's sacrifices and struggle won freedom for India in Aug 1947....India was partitioned in to two soveriegn states...Baharat and Pakistan. Even after the advent of Pakistan, Khan Samad Khan continued to suffer from imprisonment till 1954, on his release he formed a political party WRORE PASHTOON to fight for creation of PASHTOONISTAN within Pakistan.After short terms freedom, Samad was shackled by fits and starts on cooked up charges till Feb.24 1969, when prsident Field marshal Ayub Khan agreed for roundtable with conference with opposition leaders of undivided pakistan. At the roundtable conference, Khan Samad Khan strrongly advocated for the creation of provinces on linguistic and cultural basis after the break-up of the then existing one unit. This one unit consisted of punjab,sindh,NWFP, Quetta and Qalat divisiions of Balochistan. By stroke of pen, Gen. Yahya Khan, who had snatched power from president Field Marshal Ayub Khan. broke one unit before General Elections 1970. He restored all the provinces of the Punjab, Sindh and NWFP. He converted Quetta and Qalat division in to a province and elevated them to Balochistan provincail status. As Khan Samad's demand for PASHTOONISTAN province within pakistan was not fully supported by Nap, so he withdrew from NAP and formed Pashtoonkhwa National Awamy Party(PNAP). He and his party won election on PNAP tickets and won seats in provencail assembly in 1970.Khan e Shaheed Khan Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai was Martyred while a sleep on Dec 2 1973. Two hand grenades were hurled in the bedroom of small house by terrorists, martyring towering personality, who always stood as bulwark against terrorism,religouse extremism and subersion of people's sovereignty.
Khan Samad's small house, built of mud, cement. bricks and tin still existing in a lane, where some member's of his family lives, is an ample of testimoney that though he was in corridore during late Mr. Z.A bhutto, first elected prime minister of Pakistan after General Elections 70, yet he neither made any fortune nor minted money shaheed Samad simply lived and died for his countrymen and left behind a party now known as Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awamy Party.