Asfandyar Wali Khan (Political leader ANP)

Asfandyar Wali Khan is the current president of Awami National Party (ANP) and has served as a member of both the national and provincial assemblies, as well as the Senate.

Biography:

Asfandyar was born in Shahibagh in Charsadda (a town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) on February 19, 1949. He is the son of Khan Abdul Wali Khan, a well-known Pakhtun nationalist and politician.
He obtained his early education at the Jesus and Mary Convent and later at Lahore’s Aitchison College. Later on, he acquired a Bachelors degree from Peshawar University. Asfandyar is proficient in the Pashto, Urdu and English languages.

Early political career:

The ANP chief had his initiation into politics as an activist in 1968 during the regime of General Ayub Khan. A student at the time, Asfandyar was a member of Pakhtun Student Federation (PSF) and also of its Central Executive Committee. The PSF was a purely student body lobbying for democracy.

He later opposed Ayub’s successor, General Yahya Khan, who took over in 1969 and declared martial law in the country, rendering defunct all political parties, including PSF.

Hailing from a political family, Asfandyar had the right environment to develop as a seasoned political activist and eventually as a leader. His father was among the founding members of National Awami Party (NAP) and was incarcerated several times under different governments, enabling Asfandyar to adjust to conducting politics during hostile, if not autocratic, regimes. Asfandyar’s father later became a member of National Democratic Party (NDP) which was formed after NAP was proscribed by the Bhutto government in 1975.

The same year, a politically active Asfandyar was arrested, tried and convicted by a special tribunal in Hyderabad jail. He was sentenced to imprisonment for 15 years but was released along with some others in 1978. Following the release, he resumed political activity and joined NDP. However, in 1986, NDP was merged with other smaller parties to form ANP.

The Wali Khan family also participated in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD) which went on for several years with the aim of ousting ZiaulHaq but fizzled out before his death. Legislative career
Asfandyar’s parliamentary career began in 1990 when he was elected to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (then known as North West Frontier Province) provincial assembly
.
He was first elected to the National Assembly in 1993. Also winning another seat in the NA in the 1997 general election, he was later elected Senator for a six-year term (in 2003). In February 2008, Asfandyar was elected MNA for a third time in his legislative career.
While he acted in various capacities during his role as lawmaker, Asfandyar’s most notable feat has been to keep the party together in the wake of what can be viewed as frequent leadership changes in a hostile political climate.

He led ANP to considerable electoral success in the 2008 election, during which he was elected from NA-7 (Charsadda-I) with his party forming the government in KP. The development was encouraging as ANP had remained unsuccessful in the 2002 election.
A proponent of Pakhtun nationalism and provincial autonomy, Asfandyar also lobbied for the renaming of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from NWFP.

The ANP under his leadership also supported the 2009 military operation in Swat, saying his party had “always opted for a negotiated solution” but had been “left with no choice except to support” the action in the valley.

Moreover, on the Kalabagh Dam issue, Asfandyar has stuck to and further defined his party's stance of opposing the project. He was also critical of a 2012 ruling by the Lahore High Court on the construction of the dam.
He also served as chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs during the tenure of the 2008-2013 Parliament.
As ANP chief
Asfandyar was first elected president for the party in 1999 and has been re-elected every time for the position since then.
With his grip on ANP’s inter-party dynamics, Asfandyar was a source of support to its most recent leading coalition partner, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and to President Asif Ali Zardari.
Espousing his party’s philosophy which is based on liberalism, provincial autonomy, and Pakhtun nationalism, Asfandyar has expanded it in the last eight to 10 years to include opposition to terrorism and to elements involved in terrorist activities.
Among other ANP leaders such as the late Bashir Ahmed Bilour and Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Asfandyar has also been targeted by militants. He narrowly escaped a suicide blast in October 2008 and his sister Dr Gulalai, a prominent surgeon, suffered injuries in an August 2010 attack in Peshawar. As chief of the party, Asfandyar also lost a stalwart like Bilour, who was killed in a suicide bombing at an ANP meeting in Peshawar.
Still, the ANP chief has remained undaunted and resolute. At a condolence meeting after Bilour’s death, he said the “assassination would not weaken” the party’s resolve to combat terrorism, adding that “it was a misconception” that the party would abandon its principled stance against militancy after Bilour’s murder.

Asfandyar Wali Khan (Political leader ANP) In Urdu

Awami national party k sarbarah Asfandyar Wali Khan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa k ilaqe char shadda k qasbe Shahi Bagh mein 19 February 1949 ko paida huye Woh maaruf siasat dan aur Pakhtoon Qom parast Khan Abdul Wali Khan k farzand aur Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan jinhein sarhadi Gandhi bhi kaha jata tha ke pote hain. Asfandyar Wali Khan ne ibtadayi taleem Islamia Collegiate School aur Aitchison College, Lahore aur Peshawar University se hasil ki. Asfandyar Wali Khan apni madri zuban Pashto k elawa Urdu aur English par bhi oboor rakhte hain.

Inhon ne apni siasi zindagi ka aaghaz Ayub aamriyat k doran aik karkun ki haisyat se kia. Woh pakhtoon student federation aur is ki central executive comity k rukun bhi rahe. Baad azan inhon ne Ayub Khan k jaan nasheein General Yahya Khan ki mukhalfat ki. Jinhon ne 1969 mein iqtadar sanbhal kar mulk mein Marshal Law nafiz karne k sath PSF samet tamam siasi tanzimon par pabandi aaid kardi thi. In k walid National Awami Party k baniyon mein the jinhon ne mukhtalif hokumrano k dor mein kayi bar qaid band ki saubatein jhili. 1975 mein zulfiqar ali Bhutto ne NAP par pabndi lagadi jis k baad in k walid Khan Abdul Wali Khan ne national democratic party qaim karli.

Asfand Yar Wali ko giraftar kar lia gia. 1988 mein degar siasi qaidiyon k sath jail se reha huye aur NDP mein shamolyat ikhtiyar karli. 1988 mein NDP aur baaz degar choti jamaiton k inzamam se Awami National Party (ANP) qaim ki gayi. Wali khan khandan ne General Zia ki aamriyat k khatme k liye kayi baras tak chlne wali “Tehreek Bahali Jamhooryat” mein bhi sar garam hissah lia. In k Parlimani Siasat k dor ka aaghaz 1990 se hua, jb woh pehli bar sarhad assembly k rukun muntakhab huye. 1993 mein woh Qomi Assembly k rukun muntakhab huye. 1997 k intekhabat mein bhi woh aik nishisht par kaam yab huye 2003 mein 6 salah muddat k liye woh Senate k rukun muntakhab huye. 2008 k intekhabat mein woh teesri bar rukun Qomi Assembly muntakhab huye. 2008 k intekhabat mein in ki zer qayadat ANP ne qabil e zikar kaam yabi hasil ki. Woh char sadda 1 k halqe NA -7 se rukun qomi assembly muntakhab huye. In ki qiyadat mein ANP ko subayi satah par itni nashishtein hasil huyi keh woh Kheibar Pakhtoon khaw mein apni hokumat takhskeel dene mein kaam yab ho gaye.

Pakhtoon qom parast hone k nate woh hameshah subayi khood mukhtari ki jad o jahad karte rahe inhon ne sube ka naam shumali maghrabi subah sarhad se tabdil kar k Pakhtoon Khaw rakhne k liye taweel jad o jahd ki. Awami National Party ne 2009 k doran sawat mein kiye gaye foji operation ki himayat ki. Woh Kalabagh Dam k sakht naqdeen mein shumar kiye jate hain.

2008-2013 Asfandyar Wali Khan Qomi Assembly ki qaima comity baraye kharjah amoor k chairman bhi rahe. Asfandyar Wali Khan pehli bar 1999 mein ANP k qaid muntakhab huye is k baad se party sar barah k liye hone wale tamam intekhabat mein wahi badastoor muntakhab hote rahe hain. ANP k dakhli muamlaat par mazboot giraft rakhne wale Asfandyar Wali Khan ne abhi hal tak qaim rehne wali makhloot hokumat mein bator ittehadi jamayat Pakistan people’s party aur sadar Asif Ali Zardari ki khul kar himayat ki.

In ki jamayat ka falsafana nazaryat ki bunyad liberal azm subayi khood mukhtari aur Pakhtoon Qom parsti par istewar hain. Tahum guzashta 8 barson k doran, Asfandyar Wali Khan ne ise dehshat gardi aur dehshat gar anasir ki mukhalfat tak to see di hai. Talban askaryt psand on ne ANP k sar karda rah numaon par jan lewa hamle kiye. Jin mein aala qayadat jaan bahaq huyi. Khood Asfandyar Wali Khan khood kash hamle mein baal baal bache. In ki hamshirah aur maaroof surgeon doctor August 2010 mein Peshawar mein kiye gaye qatlana hamle mein zakhmi ho gayi thin.
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Awami National Party (Political Party) Bio

The Awami National Party  is a political party in Pakistan, representing by a single seat in the Parliament. The party was founded by Abdul Wali Khan in 1986 and its current president is Asfandyar Wali Khan, grandson of Bacha Khan, with Tajuddin Khan serving as the Secretary-General. Part of the PPP-led cabinet of the Pakistani government during 2008-13, the ANP's political position is considered left wing, advocating for secularism, democratic socialism, public sector government, and economic egalitarianism.
ANP was the largest Pashtun nationalist party in Pakistan between 2008-2013 with influence lying in the Pashtun dominated areas in and around Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa but it was wiped out by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2013 election.The ANP party enjoys friendly ties with neighboring Afghanistan and India, and the United States

Background:.

Khan Abdul Wali Khan's political career had been built on the tradition of intense Pashtun nationalism inherited from his father, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Bacha Khan). Both men were opposed to the creation of Pakistan, and after partition they were imprisoned. In 1956 Wali Khan joined the National Awami Party (NAP), led by a charismatic Bengali socialist, Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani. In 1965 the NAP split into two factions, with Wali Khan becoming president of the pro-Moscow faction.
The party's members participated in 1970 parliamentary elections through the Pakistan Peoples Party's platform and the National Awami Party, forming a largest socialist alliance with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1970. However, the alliance fell apart and its members joined the Pakistan National Alliance.
In 1972 the party was strong enough to form coalition provincial governments, with its partner the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. These governments were short lived. Wali Khan was again jailed, and his party was barred from politics when the Supreme Court upheld the finding of President Bhutto that the NAP was conspiring against the state of Pakistan. General Zia-ul-Haq subsequently withdrew the charges against the NAP. Wali Khan was released, joined the National Democratic Party, and ultimately formed the Awami National Party. In the meantime, President Bhutto was imprisoned and executed in April 1979.

Ideology: 

The party espouses a nonviolent approach to tackling extremism. It promotes democratic socialism, secularism, economic egalitarianism, and Pashtun nationalism. The party has dense support among the Pashtun population in the country. Although since 2000, its liberal socialism and pro-Pashtun philosophy has became its integral part of the party, advocating for the regional autonomy and increased Pashtun cultural expression. A frequent coalition partner in provincial politics, it was routed in the 2002 elections because of its opposition to the Taliban and support for the NATO-backed Karzai administration in neighboring Afghanistan.
It joined the opposition All Parties Democratic Movement, and along with other party's except the Pakistan Peoples Party resigned from Parliament in October 2007 in protest against the military regime of Pervez Musharraf. It was targeted in 2007 and 2008 by presumed supporters of the Taliban. Despite the attacks, the party has advocated dialogue with moderate tribal elements to end the violence in the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas. It has rejected foreign interference in the region. Since the 2008 elections the party has been the principal target of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with over 100 activists having been assassinated by suicide bombers or in target killings. It has also accused the Pakistani establishment and of being complicit in allowing the growth of the TTP in Pakistan because of its former support for the fighters.

 Foreign policy:

Further information: Afghanistan–Pakistan relations and Pakistan–United States relations

The Awami National Party has close ties with the Pashtun dominated government of Afghanistan and with the United States. Some claim that the party also has supporters in Russia but this is difficult to verify. Others claim that like its partner Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) the ANP suffered from the great purged by the General Zia-ul-Haq government.


During the 1980s, the party demanded the end of the US-Pakistan Operation Cyclone and acceptance of Afghanistan's terms for speedy repatriation. In 1987, calculations completed by Pakistan Institute of Public Opinions (PIPO), around 66% of ANP's respondents expressed themselves against Pakistan's continuing support of the mujahideen fighters. The mujahideen were men from over 40 Islamic nations that arrived to Pakistan in the 1980s to be used as fighters in the Soviet war in Afghanistan. This violated article 2 of the 1893 Durand Line Agreement with Kabul. The ANP party played a major role in improving Pakistan's relations with Russia.

The Political thought of Mahmood Khan Achakzai

The Political thought of Mahmood Khan Achakzai
Mahmud Khan Achakzai is a  rare and unique politician in AFPAK Politics. His political struggle is the continuity of his father - Abdus Samad Khan Achakzai’s resistance against the  British and later their heirs in Pakistan. His father was martyred while  fighting for the political rights of Pashtuns both on political and academic  fronts. Abdus Samad Khan Achakzai left a rich political legacy for Mahmud Khan  and all the wisdom which he had learnt from the life and work of his father  compelled him to form a political platform for uniting Pashtuns and urging them  to raise a collective voice for their rights.  The following are the features of Mahmud Khan’s political philosophy:
1- Pashtun Historic land
Mahmud  Khan maintains that the land between Oxus and Indus is the historical land of  Pashtuns which was divided during successive attacks on Afghan territory and  therefore currently is under the control of other nations. Pashtuns have been  losing their land to other nations due to lack of political consciousness, unity   and national stance on collective issues collective and if they still don’t  realize this fact they are destined to suffer more in political terms. Mahmud  Khan maintains that Pashtuns were divided only in the weak political sense by  the British after drawing the imaginary Durand line but that division could not  damage the Pashtun nation as their geographic position is like an integral  whole. Hence FATA had independent status and it should be given the same  independent status such that it should have its own legislature, executive and  judiciary run by the local Tribal Pashtuns. This makes Durand line an  international issue between Pakistan and Afghanistan and hence it should be  treated like Kashmir issue. Due to this complicated nature of Durand line issue,  Mahmud Khan defines Pakistan as the country of Pashtuns while Afghanistan as the   motherland of Pashtuns. As country is a variable entity while motherland is  permanent hence a person has natural inclination and love for motherland despite  a person’s citizenship which may belong to one country or another. He therefore  regards Afghanistan as the motherland and Pakistan as the country of Pashtuns. 
2- Democratic share in Power 
Mahmud Khan demands a share in  the governance and political power for Pakhtuns in Pakistan as it is the second  majority ethnic group. He believes that humongous armies, economies, nuclear  arsenals or ammunitions cannot bind the people of a country together. The glue  which keeps the various federations, ethnic groups, provinces or states of a  country consists of two elements – a social contract between the units   constituting the country and secondly the element of  democracy. He draws the attentions of the world towards the former USSR  and Czechoslovakia and urges the learned and wise ones to extract wisdom from  these historic political events. Making it a premise for Pakistan, which is also  proud of its nuclear teeth and huge military capabilities in the Muslim world,  he advises the ruling junta of Pakistan to devolve the powers in reality to the  people of Pakistan in a democratic manner. Being a staunch believer in both the  form as well as essence of democracy, his political party – Pashtunkhwa Milli  Awami Party- boycotted the 2008 elections in the Baluchistan province of  Pakistan. 
  3-    Non Interference 
Mahmud Khan believes in a foreign policy of “Do not interfere into the affairs of  others”. He is an advocate of non interference and non intervention in the  internal affairs of any neighbouring country. He maintains that Pakistani  military establishment has been responsible for the destruction and devastation of Afghanistan even after the Cold war. He has made it clear to the world times and again that the intelligence agencies and other allied military institutions  can sort out the AfPak issue in months if not in days once they have the  will to do so. He urges the military establishment to act like the five senses in a human body and just inform the state about any possible threats to the  solidarity or defense of the country instead of pursuing an aggressive foreign  policy of provocation and justifying the need for a humungous budget for the  security forces of the country. He maintains that irrespective of the economic  or political status of the nation state the neighbouring or any other state  should not interfere into the internal affairs of that nation state and should  respect her sovereignty and freedom. He accuses Pakistan of meddling into the  affairs of Afghanistan since the US-Russia war in Afghanistan in 1978 and  believes that Pakistan took active role in the instability of Afghanistan since  that war due to which Afghanistan became a battlefield between various Afghans  factions all of which were fighting to take control of Kabul. The same war also   made Afghanistan Chess ground of international players.
 4-   Self Control over Resources
Mahmud Khan demands for control of people over their natural resources. He blames Punjab of having hegemony when  it comes to the distribution of resources. He has been raising his voice for the  right of Pashtuns to have control over their water, electricity, minerals and other natural resources. His party has been actively involved in parliamentary  politics and has a marked presene in the South Pakhtunkhwa [currently called Baluchistan] province of Pakistan while is undergoing the phase of evolution in  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and rest of Pakistan.  The party has been actively involved in  raising a voice for the oppressed ethnicities in general and for Pashtuns in  particular. He is known to have never compromised over the rights of Pashtuns  with any institution of Pakistan including the strongest military establishment  which has been ruling Pakistan defacto since the time Pakistan was founded in  1947.  
5-  Sectarian and Ethnic ToleranceMahmud Khan is of the opinion  that sectarian tolerance has to be practiced till the whole world embraces one  philosophy of existence. Humans have to show respect for the religions and codes of life of other humans and society has to be based on the principle of peaceful co existence. The main emphasis of his concept of peaceful co existence,  however, is the fact that he believes in the equality of all religions in terms of respect. By equality in respect he means that irrespective of which sect is the torch bearer of truth, every sect should give the same status to that of  others as it demands for its own. The same principle is for ethnic tolerance. He demands respect for Pashto language, culture, music, art, history, social  institutions and other ethnic norms vis-a-vis same demands by any other ethnic group or even the state for their ethnic features and identity from national as well as international community. Mahmud Khan believes that the concept of self  respect needs to be practiced at collective level too.  While its realisation at the individual level is also necessary and has  been a part and parcel of Pakhtun life style but that practice is not sufficient  in the contemporary age. The implications of this notion have enormous  socio-political and even economic implications. It unconsciously inculcates the  seeds of competition in the collective psyche of a nation and brings it,  consequently, at par with the developed nations of the  world. 
6-  New Social Contract
Mahmud Khan Achakzai and his party are known as a ray of hope for the poor and oppressed people in the multi-tier corrupt societal structure of Pakistan. The current societal nomenclature of Pakistan consists of a colonial legacy layer, a sectarian layer and a security state layer. The implications of these layers necessitate a dictatorial form of governance while the zeitgeist of the age is democracy. Hence there is a constant state of conflict between the ruling junta and the ruled class. The priorities of both are contradictory to each other. The  artificial amalgam has already shown its weakness in early 1970 during the era of a military dictator which resulted in the creation of Bangla Desh. Pakistan is now facing the implications of the second layer of its chemistry and is facing the menace of terrorism in which every individual as well as institution is under  threat and hence afraid . Practically Pakistan is becoming a living hell for her inhabitants.
In this abyss of darkness, Mahmud Khan has been pressing for a new social contract  for the people of Pakistan based on truth and reconciliation in the true sense in which the chemistry of the state should be revisited, the constitutions and its guiding principles should be reviewed,  the aspirations and rights of the  people should be ensured, anti-progress restrictions and constraints in the constitution should be abolished and democratic process is given a chance to flourish without deforming its form or distorting its essence.   

PASHTOONKHWA MILLI AWAMI PARTY (Political Party) bio

Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) is a Pashtoon democratic political party in Pakistan. The Moto of PMAP is to unite Pashtoons of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas.  


Mahmood Khan Achakzai is the current party chairman. Abdul Rahim Mondokhail Advocate is the senior deputy chairman of the Party.  
Sher Ali Bacha was the first Secretary General of Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party.  In 2013 elections PMAP won 14 Provincial Assembly seats including 3 reserved seats for women, which were allocated to the sisters of those Martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the rights and good future of Pashtoons.  Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party demands equal rights and identity for Pashtoons, our theme is to divert children from extremism to Education 

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 

Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party stands for and believes that each Nationality in Pakistan should have equal social, political and economical rights. PMAP believes that all the nations living in Pakistan should have equal rights and that each nation should have exclusive control over their own resources. PMAP demands and believes that Pashtoons from Chitral to Bolan should have one united province and have control over its own affairs.

With the growing high cost of petroleum products, gas, groceries and utility bills, the family income of a middle class family cannot keep pace and more people are living below the poverty line. Middle class families are under stress just trying to make their ends meet. PMAP believes that when individuals and families are given the opportunity to succeed, the economy grows and the country will become stronger. That is why equality of opportunity is a fundamental principle of PMAP. People are out of work and have tightened their belts. PMAP strongly believes in growing our economy, creating jobs across the Pashtoon land, so no Pashtoon has to leave his home and his loved ones in search of a better future far from home or even abroad.

To stay competitive on a global scale and for a better future, our economy depends on highly educated and skilled individuals in various trades and industries. Pashoonkhwa Milli Awami Party believes firmly that all Pashtuns deserve affordable access to education. PMAP also believes that Pashtoons should be able to get education in their own language.

When a loved one of a person gets sick, you want to be sure that you can count on the health care system. PMAP believes strongly that  Every individual on the time of need must seek an efficient, accountable, affordable, scientific, culturally acceptable and sustainable Primary Health Care through its Public Health System

PMAP stand for open, fair, and strong democratic representation. PMAP believes that Parliament should belong to the people instead of the Prime Minister and/or President. Also, PMAP strongly believes that the Army and Intelligence Agencies should stay away from politics. PMAP stands for democracy and the supremacy of parliament.

PMAP supports the present government of Afghanistan and its efforts in rebuilding Afghanistan. PMAP strongly believes that Afghanistan is a sovereign state and therefore should have control of her internal and external affairs free from outside interference. As a result, it can have peace, commerce and friendship with other nations of the world. PMAP strongly condemns the interference of Pakistani Agencies in the affairs of Afghanistan or any other neighbouring country for that matter.  

Party Chairman 

Mahmood Khan Achakzai known as Mashar (born in1948 - ) is a Pashtoon/Afghan Nationalist political leader rooted in the heartland Gulistan Janobi Pashtunkhwa Pakistan. Mahmood Khan Achakzai is the Chairman of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party. He is the son of Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai historically known as Khan Shaheed.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai who is an Engineer by profession stepped in the politics after his father Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai was martyred. He openly opposed all the dictatorial regimes of Zia ul Haq and Parvaiz Musharaf. During Zia regime he led a protest procession of Movement for the restoration of Democracy on 7th October 1983 in the city of Quetta. The Army fired at the peaceful procession six pukhtoonkhwa NAP worker were martyred and shoot orders were issued against Mahmood Khan Achakzai.   Mahmood Khan Achakzai went underground for 5 years and returned after the restoration of Democracy in 1988. A staunch nationalist and democrat, Mahmood Achakzai is widely respected by democratic circles for his principled stance with regard to human rights, women rights, minority rights and the rule of law. He has been elected member of National Assembly (MNA) several times from his home constituency of Qilla Abdullah and also from Quetta, Balochistan. In elections of 2013 Mahmood Khan Achakzai was elected from two National Assembly seats Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami party has won majority of provincial seats from the Pashtoon belt in Balochistan Province. His famous saying is “We do not make enemies or friends on the basis of color, creed, race, religion, language or belief. We respect every human being on the earth". 

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The Political Thought of Mahmood Khan Achakzai

Mahmood Khan Achakzai is a rare and unique politician in AFPAK Politics. His political struggle is the continuity of his father - Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai’s resistance against the British and later their heirs in Pakistan. His father was martyred while fighting for the political rights of Pashtuns both on political and academic fronts. Abdus Samad Khan Achakzai left a rich political legacy for Mahmud Khan and all the wisdom which he had learnt from the life and work of his father compelled him to form a political platform for uniting Pashtuns and urging them to raise a collective voice for their rights.  Following are the salient features of Mahmood Khan’s political philosophy:

1-      Pashtun Historic land

Mahmood Khan maintains that the land between Oxus and Indus is the historical land of Pashtuns which was divided during successive attacks on Afghan territory and therefore currently is under the control of other nations. Pashtuns have been losing their land to other nations due to lack of political consciousness, unity and national stance on collective issues collective and if they still don’t realize this fact they are destined to suffer more in political terms. Mahmood Khan maintains that Pashtuns were divided only in the weak political sense by the British after drawing the imaginary Durand line but that division could not damage the Pashtun nation as their geographic position is like an integral whole. Hence FATA had independent status and it should be given the same independent status such that it should have its own legislature, executive and judiciary run by the local Tribal Pashtuns. This makes Durand line an international issue between Pakistan and Afghanistan and hence it should be treated like Kashmir issue. Due to this complicated nature of Durand line issue, Mahmood Khan defines Pakistan as the country of Pashtuns while Afghanistan as the motherland of Pashtuns. As country is a variable entity while motherland is permanent hence a person has natural inclination and love for motherland despite a person’s citizenship which may belong to one country or another. He therefore regards Afghanistan as the motherland and Pakistan as the country of Pashtuns. 

2-      Democratic share in Power

Mahmood Khan demands a share in the governance and political power for Pakhtuns in Pakistan as it is the second majority ethnic group. He believes that humongous armies, economies, nuclear arsenals or ammunitions cannot bind the people of a country together. The glue which keeps the various federations, ethnic groups, provinces or states of a country consists of two elements – a social contract between the units constituting the country and secondly the element of  democracy. He draws the attentions of the world towards the former USSR and Czechoslovakia and urges the learned and wise ones to extract wisdom from these historic political events. Making it a premise for Pakistan, which is also proud of its nuclear teeth and huge military capabilities in the Muslim world, he advises the ruling junta of Pakistan to devolve the powers in reality to the people of Pakistan in a democratic manner. Being a staunch believer in both the form as well as essence of democracy, his political party – Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party- boycotted the 2008 elections in the Baluchistan province of Pakistan but in 2013 election party contested elections and won 10 Provincial Assembly and 3 national assembly seats.

3-      Non Interference

Mahmood Khan believes in a foreign policy of “Do not interfere into the affairs of others”. He is an advocate of non interference and non intervention in the internal affairs of any neighbouring country. He maintains that Pakistani military establishment has been responsible for the destruction and devastation of Afghanistan even after the Cold war. He has made it clear to the world times and again that the intelligence agencies and other allied military institutions can sort out the AfPak issue in months if not in days once they have the will to do so. He urges the military establishment to act like the five senses in a human body and just inform the state about any possible threats to the solidarity or defense of the country instead of pursuing an aggressive foreign policy of provocation and justifying the need for a humungous budget for the security forces of the country. He maintains that irrespective of the economic or political status of the nation state the neighbouring or any other state should not interfere into the internal affairs of that nation state and should respect her sovereignty and freedom. He accuses Pakistan of meddling into the affairs of Afghanistan since the US-Russia war in Afghanistan in 1978 and believes that Pakistan took active role in the instability of Afghanistan since that war due to which Afghanistan became a battlefield between various Afghans factions all of which were fighting to take control of Kabul. The same war also made Afghanistan Chess ground of international players.



4-      Self Control over Resources

Mahmood Khan demands for control of people over their natural resources. He blames Punjab of having hegemony when it comes to the distribution of resources. He has been raising his voice for the right of Pashtuns to have control over their water, electricity, minerals and other natural resources. His party has been actively involved in parliamentary politics and has a marked presene in the South Pakhtunkhwa [currently called Baluchistan] province of Pakistan while is undergoing the phase of evolution in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and rest of Pakistan.  The party has been actively involved in raising a voice for the oppressed ethnicities in general and for Pashtuns in particular. He is known to have never compromised over the rights of Pashtuns with any institution of Pakistan including the strongest military establishment which has been ruling Pakistan defacto since the time Pakistan was founded in 1947. 

5-      Sectarian and Ethnic Tolerance

Mahmood Khan is of the opinion that sectarian tolerance has to be practiced till the whole world embraces one philosophy of existence. Humans have to show respect for the religions and codes of life of other humans and society has to be based on the principle of peaceful co existence. The main emphasis of his concept of peaceful co existence, however, is the fact that he believes in the equality of all religions in terms of respect. By equality in respect he means that irrespective of which sect is the torch bearer of truth, every sect should give the same status to that of others as it demands for its own. The same principle is for ethnic tolerance. He demands respect for Pashto language, culture, music, art, history, social institutions and other ethnic norms vis-a-vis same demands by any other ethnic group or even the state for their ethnic features and identity from national as well as international community. Mahmood Khan believes that the concept of self respect needs to be practiced at collective level too.  While its realisation at the individual level is also necessary and has been a part and parcel of Pakhtun life style but that practice is not sufficient in the contemporary age. The implications of this notion have enormous socio-political and even economic implications. It unconsciously inculcates the seeds of competition in the collective psyche of a nation and brings it, consequently, at par with the developed nations of the world. 

6-      New Social Contract

Mahmood Khan Achakzai and his party are known as a ray of hope for the poor and oppressed people in the multi-tier corrupt societal structure of Pakistan. The current societal nomenclature of Pakistan consists of a colonial legacy layer, a sectarian layer and a security state layer. The implications of these layers necessitate a dictatorial form of governance while the Zeitgeist of the age is democracy. Hence there is a constant state of conflict between the ruling junta and the ruled class. The priorities of both are contradictory to each other. The artificial amalgam has already shown its weakness in early 1970 during the era of a military dictator which resulted in the creation of Bangla Desh. Pakistan is now facing the implications of the second layer of its chemistry and is facing the menace of terrorism in which every individual as well as institution is under threat and hence afraid . Practically Pakistan is becoming a living hell for her inhabitants.

In this abyss of darkness, Mahmood Khan has been pressing for a new social contract for the people of Pakistan based on truth and reconciliation in the true sense in which the chemistry of the state should be revisited, the constitutions and its guiding principles should be reviewed,  the aspirations and rights of the people should be ensured, anti-progress restrictions and constraints in the constitution should be abolished and democratic process is given a chance to flourish without deforming its form or distorting its essence.   

Khan Shaheed Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai (Great pashtoon leader PMAP)

Khan Shaheed Abdul Samad khan Achakzai was a great national hero not only played a great role for the liberation of the Pashtoons but also collaborated with other outstanding leaders for the liberation of other oppressed peoples of the Subcontinent. He was such an honest, courageous and stead fast leader who not only fought against the Imperialists but also against the dictators and anti democratic rulers of Pakistan. He organized and empulsed the peoples against the tyranny and exploitation of the colonizers. He formulated a sound philosophy and correct strategy for the liberation of his people. These were disliked by the rulers and thinking him to be a great hindrance in the way their nefarious designs. So, they planned to remove him out of their way and so on the night of 2nd of December 1973, they martyred him by throwing two bombs in to his sleeping Room while he was asleep.

International and Regional Circumstances

Towards the end of nineteenth century capitalism entered its ultimate stage of imperialism in Europe and British, French, and the like powers occupied Asian and African countries in such a manner that these countries were settles as complete colonies or semi-colonies for exploitation, and thus an extensive colonialist system was established by the global imperialism. The apportion of these enslaved countries was reckoned in the ratio of the might of the plundering countries of the age.

The mightiest imperialist country had posses the biggest share in the plunder. During the late 19th century as the British imperialists were the mightiest of all the rest. The most important slave countries in respect of economic, political and strategic point of view came under the occupation of the British imperialism with great number and amplitude and when the British imperialist exploiters transferred the whole of the subcontinent in to their colony, they latter on occupied the territory of Afghanistan and included it in her occupied territory of Subcontinent and named them as North West and Frontier Province with the capita at Peshawar, which used to be the winter Capital of Afghanistan and British Balochistan with the capital at Quetta.

At the beginning of 2oth century on the one side the European imperialist countries were busy in preparation for war to distribute the booty by force of the sophisticated arms of that time, on the other side the highest revolutionary class, the industrial workers of the European countries were organizing the labor movement and on the third side the people of the slave and semi slave countries taking the first steps for emancipation from the grip of the colonialist exploitation and establishment of self control over their countries.

His Struggle and Political Philosophy
Khan Shaheed Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai was born in the Gulistan tehsil of District Kialla Abdullah of the Colonized Afghanistan in 1907. This part of the land was still resounding with the songs of heroic deeds in defense of defending the motherland, but this struggle of their was lacking the guidance of such political organization which according to the needs of the time could provide the befitting leadership.

In the meantime from 1917 to 1918 the imperils countries of Europe entangled with each other in a ferocious war for the redistribution of the World In this imperialist war of occupation and subjection of the subjected and slave countries all the imperialist countries and their colonies took part and this war was called the First World of 1914-1918.

Most of the labor parties with the organization of the World labor movement. The second International became agents of this imperialist plunderer and fought for them to usurp more colonies. Within the Second International only minority of labor parties under the guidance of Russian revolutionary Labor party of Bolshevik clearly declared that the imperialist were fighting this war only for the redistribution of other countries specially the subjected ones. It is therefore, the duty of true revolutionary and parties complying with the principles of the international proletariat to struggle against the imperialists within their own nations to win freedom for themselves on the one side and finishing the imperialist, capitalists of their own countries. Practically demonstrate the international brotherhood of the workers of the subjected colonized countries. In this way the second international had do be divided and the parties and the elements that become tools in the hands of the imperialists of their countries became chauvinists, called socialists nominally but really they were chauvinists and the parties and the revolutionaries who clearly called this war an imperialist war and supported the land and subjected nations and workers of their countries against the imperialists were those who not only verbally but practically adhered to the principled of proletariat internationalist. These real internationalists practically cleared the true meaning of internationalists in politics.These true internationalists in the light of this particular meaning of the principles of internationalism established the third international after October, 1917 revolution.

Khan Shaheed was only ten years old when in the Czarist Russia the vanguard of the workers of Bolshevik Party that complied with the principles of Internationalism in true meaning of the word, the Government of the toiling people by over throwing the exploiting classes in October, 1917 and emancipating all the slave and subjected nations of Russia on the principles of self determinations and equality of the nation, established their own republics where the peoples of these free republics of their own consent united the Soviet republics and formed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic.3 In this manner a practical example of the political ideals for national and social freedom was set up.

In the Sub continent and in occupied Afghanistan majority of the workers and exploited classes of the people joined the struggle for democratic values and emancipation from imperialist oppression as the result of these World events and historical and social demands. During this time all parties and toiling masses united primarily in the Afghania Reformist Movement afterward in the Khudai Khidmatgar Movement under the leader ship of Bacha Khan throughout the occupied North eastern Afghanistan or in NWFP and Kaka sanober Hussain Momend, Moulana Abdur Raheem Ppalzai, Khushal Kaka Ji and other gave momentum to the movement.4

In the British Balochistan or South Pashtoonkhawa in 1918 at the age of eleven years Khan-I-Shaheed abdul samad Khan Achakzai headed a procession of School boys at Gulistan in confirmations with the Khilfat Movement demonstrating against the British Rule in the region.5

In 1930 Khan-I-Shaheed was arrested immediately after his decision to found democratic political party for freedom during his struggle.6 After his release in 1931, he went to Bombay where he met Mahatma Gandhi who was on his way to London to attend the round table conference. On this occasion Khan Shaheed had the opportunity to meet many other known political figures including Bacha Khan and as a result of this visit they united the freedom movement of oppressed classes in particular of Pashtoon of Peshawar and Quetta region with the cooperation of other Pashtoon leaders playing a great role in the organization of the Khudai Khidmat gar of Surkpoosh Movement (red Shirt) which was the association of the patriotic masses specially the Pashtoon workers and farmers.

Here Khan-I-Shaheed and his Pashtoon and Baloch companions struggled very hared and untiringly against the British imperialist and the tribal chiefs attached to them. During the struggle he suffered many years behind the bars. Exile and detentions. He established a platform to complete the aims and objects of his revolutionary struggle to Pashton and Baloch masses and people of the Subcontinent and afterwards issued the newspapers ISTIQLAL from Quetta in 1938 Thus during the thirties in spite of confinements, detention, exile and all sorts of perils in the imperialists, colonialists and retrogressive conditions. Khan Shaheed and his courageous friends namely Ayub Khan achakzai, Moulan Obedullah of Bostan District Pishin, Molovi Ghulam Haider Mehterzai of Kan Mehterzai, Aslam Achakzai and many more conducted their political struggle, organized conferences and arranged processions wrote and publish articles and founded the political Party Anjuman-I- Watan in 193 for the freedom of Mother land and for the democratic values where each and every person must have equal opportunity and rights. Khan Shaheed was elected the President of the Party. In Kalat State or Balochistan State Gul Khan Naseer and other freedom loving Baloch leaders formed Kalat National Party. It was the culmination of such enthusiastic endeavours that the freedom movement of Pashtoon and Baloch people gained the leadership of revolutionary democratic political movements for the emancipation of Pashtoon and Baloch peoples, cooperation of Brotherhood was established on the basis of equality.10

In 1939 Khan-I-shaheed and Bacha khan went on political tour to the British Balochistan together and motivated the pashtoons to make themselves ready for the up coming challenges as the imperialist countryside with their fresh ratio of power once more planned the Second World war 1939-45 for the redistribution of the World. Although the real aim of the imperialist countries was rooting out the revolutionary Republic of Soviet Socialist Republic and all the National movements for emancipation.11 There emerged two groups against each other, one led by Germany and the other by British. The 2nd World war had direct effect on the political scenario of whole the world in general and on Sub-continent in particular. The Indian National Congress resigned from the ministries in order to put pressure on British and started quiet India movement against the British in 1942.12 On the guidance of Khan-I-Shaheed, Anjuman-I-Watan commenced a movement on the same pattern against the British. Khan Shaheed played a bold and courageous role in it.13

In the prevailing World events the British compiled to leave Pashtoonkhawa, Balochistan and the Subcontinent as the consequences of the struggle by the Anjuman-I-Watan, Khudai khidmat Gar from Pashtoonkhawa, Kalat National Party form Balochistan, and many more from other parts of the region. But Khan-I-Shaheed, Bacha Khan and other freedom loving persons who persisted on the sole aim of putting the British to flight, could not stop the success of the British in their intrigues of those days: and the departing British ruler transferred the powers to their patronized landlords, agents capitalists classes and the civil and military bureaucracy who never let the democracy to be flourished in the Country and they carried on the same policies even went many steps ahead from the British.

It was hoped that with the creation of Pakistan the Pashton , Baloch, Sindhi, Saraiki, Punjabi and Bengali peoples then emancipated from the British subjection, would be the masters of their supreme authority and powers on the basis of equality of the nationalities and on this principle would equally share the political authority but these still are the dreams of the people of the country. Within such conditions Khan-I-Shaheed carried on the struggle for the National and democratic rights for the people of Pakistan and with the coming of August, 1947, the series of his arrests and detentions began once more and then he was put behind the bars on orders by the representative of Fresh colonialist rulers, the English agent to the Governor General and he remained in jail till 1954. After his release in 1954 he formed a political party with the name of Worrier Pashtoon (Pashtoon Brother). He was elected the conveyor of the Party.

Afterward again the chain of arrests and detentions began and hardly was set free by Lahore High Court in 1956. Then in such state of affairs wror Pashtoon joined hands with patriotic peoples of all the nationalities and laid the foundation of National Awami Party( NAP) in 1957. The NAP was basically formed against the One Unit scheme, which was imposed in 1955 abrogating the provinces of Pakistan in a single one18. NAP adopted a free, neutral political policy on the basis of the principle of equality of all nationalities, the establishment of their political power and participation in the central set up on the basis of real equality, and total emancipation from world imperialism. Thus Khan-I-Shaheed, Bacha khan, Kak Sanobar Hussain Momand and other numerous Pashtoon leaders were forerunners of the real democratic political party that was anti-imperialist, anti-feudal, and anti-conservatism and truly a party for the establishment of power of the toiling peoples of Pakistan.

The first target of Ayub Khan’s Martial law Khan Shaheed who was arrested on the second day of martial law and then was confined to fourteen years rigorous imprisonment by special military court on totally false allegations. Along with him the workers and the leaders of NAP were made targets of reprisal of every kind. The state was totally converted into a military base of the American imperialism and was pledged to the international imperialism.

Released in 1968 after the full term of punishment, when Khan-I-Shaheed came to Quetta, the enthusiastic procession of the people to welcome him proved to be the first spark of the people’s fury to burn the Ayub despotism and reduce it to ashes. Khan–I-Shaheed was again arrested along with his some of companions and was tried by a tribunal, but furry of the people specially of the Pashtoon masses had become a storm against Ayub tyranny, even though in the endeavors to over come the rage of this storm, the helpless students in the Zarif Shaheed Hostel Science College Quetta, were indiscriminately fired at and as result Zarif Khan was murdered. But they could not stop this storm and it spread through out the country and at last drifted the Ayub dictatorship despotism.

In 1970 Yahaya Khan understanding the demand of time disbanded one unit, but. It is obvious that the abode of the Pashtoons, majority chief commissioner Province historically has remained a separate national political unit and the treaty of Gandamak 1879 and other exploits imposed treaties brought this region under the direct control of British and was named as British Balochistan although it was absolutely Pashtoon populated area, the British forcibly occupied this region from Afghanistan on the condition that Amir of Afghanistan should received the surplus revenues after payment of the expanses of administration.23. The British colonialists gave the wrong name of British Balochistan to the occupied Afghanistan, for the unsuccessful attempt to conceal the historical fact of the occupation of the land of pashtoons by the British imperialists and gradually erase this fact from the memories of the world but it is highly regretted that even though martial Law Government of General Yehya Khan announced the abrogation of One Unit and that the former provinces were to be revived, yet the Chief Commissioner’s Province of Pashtoon ( Since 1st November 1887) was not only not revived but also the Balochistan States Union was joined with it and it was once again named after the name of others without the determination of political, historical and constitutional inter-relations of Pashtoon and Brohi –Baloch. It is to be further pointed out that Chief Commissioner of the British Balochistan had its own elected institution of Shahi Jirga, having 46 members at the time of establishment of Pakistan who voted in favor of Pakistan on 29th June 1947 as instructed by 3rd June plan of 1947. It is worth nothing that of 46 sitting members of the Shahi Jirga (consisting of all the Chief, Sardars and elders of the tribes) 38 were Pashtoons and the remaining Eight were Brohi- Baloch. Moreover out of seven members of the Quetta Municipality three were Pashtoons and remaining were the new comers to Quetta.

In fact the Baloch have always opposed the inclusion of British Balochistan or the Pashtoon populated area into Balochistan. When the Shahi Jirga of British Balochistan was voting to decide weather to be the part of Pakistan or India in June 1947. The Baloch members in the Shahi Jirga except Mir Jafar Khan Jamaili wanted to go with Balochistan states union and to remain in British Balochistan26. When Federal Government of Pakistan wanted to merge the Balochistan States Union with the Chief Commissioner Province of Pashtoons, So, it was opposed by Baloch in 1954 and in February 1954 during the Sibi week when the Government officers persuaded some Baloch sardars to give their consent to the merger of Chief Commissioner Province of Pashtoon districts with Balochistan States union. It was considered by the Baloch as a vicious stratege. A few Baloch Sardars signed a memorandum drawn up by the Government functionaries, informing the agent to the Governor General of the approval of the merger of Chief Commissioner Province or Pakistani Balochistan (as the Baloch leaders used to call it) with Balochistan states Union. This arrangement was severely criticized by the Baloch who in a memorandum on 16th February, 1954 addressed to members of the constituent Assembly of Pakistan on behalf of “the well wishers of Pakistan, the Baloch and Balochistan, the memorandum maintains that the Sardars, who signed the document without knowing its full implications, accepted their mistakes when apprised by the real situation, and repented in writing. The document opposed the inclusion of the Chief Commissioner Province of Pashtoons populated in to Balochistan States union and proposed that in view of the racial affinities, they might be merged in North West Frontier Province ( NWFP ) or retained as a separate Province. In this regard Eighteen (18) Baloch Sardars and leaders of opinions sent Telegrams to the Pakistani authorities voicing their opposition to the proposed inclusion of “Pakistani Balochistan” which used to be British Balochistan before partition of 1947, in to the Balochistan States Union. They termed such an action by Pakistani Government illegal and unconstitutional28.

The Chief Commissioner Province of British Balochistan or Pashtoon populated areas never formed part of Balochistan or the Baloch confederacy, these were under the administrative control of Afghanistan and the British took forcibly these areas from Afghanistan after the Second Anglo-Afghan war 1878-80 and gave it the status of a Chief Commissioner Province naming it as British Balochistan, actually it should have been as British Afghanistan or other wise and after the creation of Pakistan, the Chief Commissioner Province fell in to Pakistan and functioned separately till the imposition of One Unit scheme in Pakistan in 1955.

The question of the National and historical basis for the creation of the provinces and the formation of the United Pashtoon Province comprising the Chief Commissioner Province and NWFP was first raised by Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai . His Organization Wror Pashtoon (Pashtoons Brothers) formed in 1954, was clearly aimed at creating a Pashtoon Province. In a statement submitted before the Justice Sahbir Ahmed of Lahore High Court on 26th October, 1956, He said Wror Pashtoon wished to create an autonomous unit within Pakistan comprising all Pashtoon populate areas. He told the Court “Let me mention that the creation of Pashtoonistan, comprising contiguous Pashtoon areas separated by the British under various nomenclatures, is my life mission. I can not give it up to avoide punishment or torture on my body29.

Abdul Samad Khan merged his Party in to National Awami Party, which came in to being in 1955, to resist against the one unit and to restore the former provinces and Democracy in the Country. Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai and his party men struggled to obtain the demands of NAP, especially to get a united Province of the Pashtoon comprising contiguous Pashtoon areas. After a long and tiresome struggle by Khan Sahaeed and other leaders of the NAP, General Yahaya Khan was compelled to shun the One Unit and to restore the former provinces. But it was very unfortunate moment for Khan Shaheed as within these conditions a few leaders of the NAP receded from the basic principles of uniting the divided Pashtoon land of NWFP and of Chief Commissioner Province. It was done even though the Khan Kalat, Mir Ahmad yar Khan wrote to the Military Government of General Yahya Khan in his letter of 27th January 1970 in the capacity of the President of the council of Ruler of the Balochistan States Union opposing any move to include the Pashtoon areas of Chief Commissioner Province in to Balochistan. Balochistan, the Khan said, was not only State but also an institution of Baloch culture and ideology. He stated that the members of Council of Rulers and the people of Kalat , Makran , Lassbilla and Kharan have the full determination to maintain the Balochistan States Union and their Balochi leased areas as a separate administrative unit and do not want to be forced to be the part of the rest of the Quetta division with which they don’t desired to be merged. He suggested that the Balochistan States Union including the Balochi leased areas should form a separate Province of Balochistan. Being disappointed and disillusioned, Samad Khan Achakzai standing firmly committed on the basic principles of the NAP, the Pahtoonkhawa was added to the original name of the Party and in this manner National Awami Party was maintained in the under the leadership of Samad Khan Achakzai. So, the Province of Balochistan was formed against wishes of Pashtoon and Baloch as neither the Baloch leaders including Khan of Kalat, Mir Ahmad Yar Khan was willing to live under a single administrative unit with Chief Commissioner Province of Pashtoons nor the Pashtoons masses including Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai desired to. Pashtoons lost not only their Province but also their identification. Samad Khan Achakzai with other Pashtoons leaders including Pashtoon masses were expecting that with the restoration of former provinces, they would be able to either a united Pashtoon Province or at least their own Province by upgrading the Chief Commissioner Province to a full fledge Province with their own national name of Pahtoonkhawa or Pashtoonistan. Since then Pashtoonkhawa National Awami Party demanded to restore the former Pashtoon Province and demand of the same is still alive and has taken stronger position as recently Pashtoonkhawa Mili Awami Party’s Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Pashtoon Ulus Qami Jirga’s convener Senator Nawab Mohammad Ayaz Khan Jogizai presented a written document to the Parlimantory Committee formed and Chaired by Ch. Shujat Hussain, the then the Prime Minister of Pakistan to look and see the problems of smaller provinces of Pakistan particularly of Balochistan. Along with other demands both of the leaders in the first step asked for the restoration of former Pashtoon Chief Commissioner Province and later on to be united the same with NWFP, naming it Pashtoonkhawa, Pashtoonistan or Afghania..

KHAN-I-SHAHEED was elected member of the Balochistan Provincial Assembly in the General Elections of 1970. He continued his struggle to further strengthen the movement for the unity of Pashtoons and setting up the national and social sovereignty of the local people but early in the morning on the 2nd December 1973, when KHAN-I-SHAHEED was sleeping in his room on Jamaluddin Afghani road Quetta. The agents of colonialist rulers dropped two hand bombs on him and he become a martyr, on third of December, 1973. The great champion of the freedom was buried in the graveyard of his native village Gulistan by about sixty thousand people were present in this occasion.

Mehmood Khan Achakzai (Political Leader PMAP)

Mehmood Khan Achakzai, born in 1948, is the chairman of the the biggest Pakhtun nationalist party based in Balochistan province, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP). He is also the son of Abdus Samad Khan Achakzai, who led the now defunct Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party.

After his father was assassinated in a bomb attack in Quetta in December 1973 he was elected as the chairman and took control of the reins of the party. He completed his BSc in Engineering in 1971 from University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Peshawar.

Achakzai was elected a Member of National Assembly for the first time in the 1993 elections from Quetta's NA-198 constituency with the backing of the then Pakistan Muslim League.

He was the only party member representing Pakhtun nationalist interests during the 2002 elections from the province, which was dominated by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) victories.

The party has opposed the Kalabagh Dam project and Mahmood Khan Achakzai has vocally expressed his reservations over the project. The PkMAP chief has also denounced terrorism and extremism prevailing in the country.

Though the party had parted ways with its earlier ally the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) and formed an alliance with the Awami National Party (ANP), the party then entered the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) and decided not to take part in the 2008 elections.

Though was not a member of the 2008-2013 parliament, Mahmood Khan has been in the news for his political role, especially over national issues like his meetings with Nawaz Sharif over the NFC award and the Balochistan issue, his participation in the recently held All Party Conference (APC) hosted by the Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) supporting talks with militants through a jirga.

The PkMAP had rejoiced with the ANP over the naming of the North West Frontier Province as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2010 and has also called upon the federal government to make new provinces in the country on the basis of language, culture, history and geography of the area concerned.

During the sit-in staged by Minhajul Quran chief Tahirul Qadri, Achakzai had represented his party in an opposition parties meeting which stood against any ‘unconstitutional steps’ that could be a threat to democracy.

Off lately Achakzai's name had been generating buzz among political circles as he was considered a leading candidate for the post of caretaker prime minister, but the scenario was ruled out with the appointment of Mir Hazar Khoso as the caretaker prime minister.

Achakzai's earlier refusal to hold the caretaker post had also corraborated the views of some that he and his party intended to contest the upcoming elections  (Which is now confirmed).

The nomination papers of Mahmood Khan Achakzai for the upcoming elections were conditionally accepted by Election Commission of Pakistan subject to verification of particulars by the Higher Education Commssion, Federal Board of Revenue and State Bank of Pakistan.

The ECP also issued on its website the details of Achakzai's records provided by NAB, SBP and FBR.

The PkMAP chief has also held meetings with the caretaker chief minister of Balochistan and the caretaker prime minister who had not only hailed the decision but assured the leader of security as well.

The PML-N has once again decided to support Achakzai, and has announced that they will support him on the NA-259 seat.