Prince Karim Khan
Encyclopedia
Prince Agha Abdul Karim Khan Ahmedzai was the younger brother of Khan of Kalat , Mir Ahmedyar Khan, the last ruler of Balochistan
. After the British
left Balochistan on 13 August 1947. It's alleged that the Khan was forced to join Pakistan
.
On the night of May 16, 1948 Prince Abdul Karim Khan,in defiance of his brother, decided to lead a separatist
movement against the Pakistan government,so as to preserve his life of privilege as the Khan's governor in Makran.
The Prince invited the leading members of Baloch nationalist political parties—the Kalat State National Party
, the Baloch League, and the Baloch National Workers Party — to join him in the struggle for the creation of an independent "Greater Balochistan". Apart from his political motives, the Prince was a member of the royal family and the former governor of the Makran province; he was upset by Pakistan's recognition of Sardar Bay Khan Gichki as Makran's ruler.
in order to get help and to organise his movement. He wrote to the Khan on June 28, 1948 explaining the causes of his migration.
Some of the prominent political leaders who joined him were Mohammed Hussein Anka (the secretary of the Baloch League and the editor of Weekly Bolan Mastung), Malik Saeed Dehwar (the secretary of the Kalat State National Party), Qadir Bakhsh Nizamami (a member of the Baloch League), Maulwi Mohd Afzal (a member of Jamiat-Ulm-e-Balochistan), and prominent members of the Sind-Balochistan branch of the Communist Party.
. During their stay, the Baloch freedom fighters adopted the following measures to achieve their goal:
Messages were sent to Mir Ghulam Faruq of the Rudini tribe, Sardar Mehrab Khan, Sardar Mir Jumma and Mir Wazir Khan Sanjrani of Chagai, and several other chiefs. The propaganda campaign was to be carried out on two fronts:
(A) The national cultural front
(B) The religious front
's unwillingness to offer assistance. During his stay in Sarlath, Prince Karim appointed Malik Saeed and Qadir Bakhsh Nizamani as his emissaries to contact the Afghan government and approach other embassies in order to get moral and material support. According to Nizamani
, the Afghan authorities refused to provide any sort of help and told them either to remain in Kandahar
as political refugees or to return to Balochistan. The Afghan authorities also refused to permit the rebel group to operate on Afghan soil. Nizamani informed the Iran
ian Embassy of the Baloch demands as well. Iranian diplomats showed their concern but did not offer any assistance, though they were willing to provide asylum to the rebel group in Iran. The last hope of the Prince's representative was the Soviet Embassy. The Soviet diplomats listened to Nizamami carefully. Though they did not give any assurances, they did promise to inform Moscow
.
Since the rise of Ahmed Shah Abdali, the Afghans had treated Balochistan as a vassal state until the Baloch-Afghan war of 1758, when both parties signed an agreement of "non-interference." In the 19th century, Afghan rulers like Shuja Shah and Abdur Rahman Khan
wanted to occupy Balochistan. In 1947, the Afghan government demanded the creation of Pashtunistan
, a region stretching from Chitral
and Gilgit
to the Baloch coast in the Arabian Sea
. The Afghan government called Balochistan "South Pashtunistan" in statements and publications. The Afghan expansionist policy reflected the economic considerations of a landlocked state. At the same time, it was impossible for the Afghan government to neglect its own national interests and to support the movement of an independent Greater Balochistan, which claimed the Baloch region in Afghanistan.
Joseph Stalin
did not pursue Vladimir Lenin
's policy in the East. Moreover, the Soviet government was unwilling to annoy the Afghans or the British, both of whom opposed the creation of an independent Balochistan.
, Chaman Chashme, and Rastri near the Afghan border, attempting to control the rebels' rations which were being sent by pro-separatist elements, and to control their activities or stop any attempt at invasion. The Pakistani authorities confirmed two clashes between the army and the rebels.
To avoid popular unrest in Balochistan, the Khan sent his maternal uncles Hajji Ibrahim Khan and Hajji Taj Mohammed from Sarlath to bring Prince Karim back to Kalat. Khan made his return conditional.
The Prince and the separatist movement failed to achieve internal and external support. Moreover, the Baloch nationalists were divided into two groups. Anqa and Malik
Saeed favoured armed struggle in the form of guerilla war, while Mir Ghous Bux Bizenjo and other prominent leaders wished to resolve all issues by negotiation.
With Afghan aid, Abdul Karim entered Balochistan and organised a rebellion against Pakistan in the Jhalawan
area. He received assistance from Mir Gohar Khan Zehri, an influential tribal leader of the Zarkzai clan. Major General Akbar Khan, who was in charge of the Pakistani army's Seventh Regiment, was ordered to attack the insurgents and force them to surrender. Prince Karim and his 142 followers were arrested and imprisoned in the Machh
and Quetta
jails.
A detailed and interesting statement comes from General Akbar Khan, in his article published in the daily Dawn, dated August 14, 1960, under the title "Early reminiscences of a soldier." In this article, General Akbar confirms that there was a plan to invade the Khanate and describes the clash between the Pakistani army and the separatist force headed by Prince Karim. Akbar claims that Jinnah had issued instructions that this news should not be published in the Pakistani press.Jinnah was dead by then.
(official council of elders) consisting of the following persons:
1. Khan Bahador Sahibzada, M.Ayub Khan Isakhel, Pashtoon from Pishin;
2. K.B. Baz Mohd Khan. Jogezai
, Pashtoon from Loralai
;
3. Abdul Ghaffar Khan Achakzai, Pashtoon from Pishin;
4. S.B. Wadera Noor Muhammad Khan, a Baloch
Chief from Kalat;
5. Syed Aurang Shah from Kalat;
6. Sheikh Baz Gul Khan Mandokhail. Pashtoon from Zhob
;
7. Wahab Khan Panezai, Pashtoon from Sibi
;
8. Sardar Doda Khan Marri, Baloch
from Sibi
.
This Jirga was instructed to study the circumstances and events which led to the revolt and was asked to give its recommendations to the District Magistrate. On November 10, 1948, the Jirga heard the testimony of the accused and gave its recommendations to the D.M. on November 17, 1948, suggesting the delivery of the Prince to Loralai
at the pleasure of the Government of Pakistan and various other penalties. The D.M., in his order dated November 27, 1948, differed with the opinion of the Jirga and sentenced the Prince to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 5000 rupees. Other members of his party were given various sentences and fines.
Baluchistan (Chief Commissioners Province)
The Chief Commissioner's Province of Baluchistan was a province of British India located in the northern parts of the modern Balochistan province.- History :...
. After the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
left Balochistan on 13 August 1947. It's alleged that the Khan was forced to join Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
On the night of May 16, 1948 Prince Abdul Karim Khan,in defiance of his brother, decided to lead a separatist
Separatism
Separatism is the advocacy of a state of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. While it often refers to full political secession, separatist groups may seek nothing more than greater autonomy...
movement against the Pakistan government,so as to preserve his life of privilege as the Khan's governor in Makran.
The Prince invited the leading members of Baloch nationalist political parties—the Kalat State National Party
Kalat State National Party
The Kalat State National Party was a Baloch nationalist political party in Balochistan in the princely state of Kalat. It was formed in February 1937, emerging out of the re-organization of the Anjuman-e-Ittehad-e-Balochan. Among its leadership were Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo, Mir Gul Khan Nasir and...
, the Baloch League, and the Baloch National Workers Party — to join him in the struggle for the creation of an independent "Greater Balochistan". Apart from his political motives, the Prince was a member of the royal family and the former governor of the Makran province; he was upset by Pakistan's recognition of Sardar Bay Khan Gichki as Makran's ruler.
Origins and allies of the movement
Prince Karim decided to migrate to AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in order to get help and to organise his movement. He wrote to the Khan on June 28, 1948 explaining the causes of his migration.
Some of the prominent political leaders who joined him were Mohammed Hussein Anka (the secretary of the Baloch League and the editor of Weekly Bolan Mastung), Malik Saeed Dehwar (the secretary of the Kalat State National Party), Qadir Bakhsh Nizamami (a member of the Baloch League), Maulwi Mohd Afzal (a member of Jamiat-Ulm-e-Balochistan), and prominent members of the Sind-Balochistan branch of the Communist Party.
Plan of action
The Baloch Mujahedeen (Baloch Holy Warriors), as they called themselves, entered Afghanistan and encamped at Sarlath in the province of KandaharKandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
. During their stay, the Baloch freedom fighters adopted the following measures to achieve their goal:
- Sending messages to the Baloch chiefs of Eastern and Western Balochistan, asking them to join in the armed struggle;
Messages were sent to Mir Ghulam Faruq of the Rudini tribe, Sardar Mehrab Khan, Sardar Mir Jumma and Mir Wazir Khan Sanjrani of Chagai, and several other chiefs. The propaganda campaign was to be carried out on two fronts:
(A) The national cultural front
(B) The religious front
Armed struggle
The Prince issued an appeal to individuals to help with the recruitment. A person recruiting 100 men was offered the rank of major, and a person recruiting 50 men was entitled to the rank of captain. The Baloch liberation army had a secret agency called Jannisar (devotee), whose duty was to provide information, destroy the communication system, and watch the activities of traitors. There was also a secret unit called Janbaz (darer), whose job was to kill all traitors. The Janbaz were subordinate to the Jannisar. The headquarters of the agency was known as Bab-i-Aali (secret war office) and was headed by Prince Karim. The total strength of the Jannisar was recorded as 30; nothing is known about the strength of the Janbaz.Soviets and Afghans
The Prince did not start a war because of Afghanistan's refusal and the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's unwillingness to offer assistance. During his stay in Sarlath, Prince Karim appointed Malik Saeed and Qadir Bakhsh Nizamani as his emissaries to contact the Afghan government and approach other embassies in order to get moral and material support. According to Nizamani
Nizamani
Nizamani is a Baloch tribe located in Balochistan and Sindh provinces in Pakistan. Like many other Baloch tribes, the original Nizamani tribe migrated to Sindh from Balochistan.- Overview :...
, the Afghan authorities refused to provide any sort of help and told them either to remain in Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
as political refugees or to return to Balochistan. The Afghan authorities also refused to permit the rebel group to operate on Afghan soil. Nizamani informed the Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian Embassy of the Baloch demands as well. Iranian diplomats showed their concern but did not offer any assistance, though they were willing to provide asylum to the rebel group in Iran. The last hope of the Prince's representative was the Soviet Embassy. The Soviet diplomats listened to Nizamami carefully. Though they did not give any assurances, they did promise to inform Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Since the rise of Ahmed Shah Abdali, the Afghans had treated Balochistan as a vassal state until the Baloch-Afghan war of 1758, when both parties signed an agreement of "non-interference." In the 19th century, Afghan rulers like Shuja Shah and Abdur Rahman Khan
Abdur Rahman Khan
Abdur Rahman Khan was Emir of Afghanistan from 1880 to 1901.The third son of Mohammad Afzal Khan, and grandson of Dost Mohammad Khan, Abdur Rahman Khan was considered a strong ruler who re-established the writ of the Afghan government in Kabul after the disarray that followed the second...
wanted to occupy Balochistan. In 1947, the Afghan government demanded the creation of Pashtunistan
Pashtunistan
Pakhtunistan or Pashtunistan, meaning the "land of Pakhtuns" or "land of Pashtuns", is a modern term used for the historical region inhabited by the native Afghans or Pashtun since at least the 1st millennium BC...
, a region stretching from Chitral
Chitral
Chitral or Chetrar , translated as field in the native language Khowar, is the capital of the Chitral District, situated on the western bank of the Kunar River , in Pakistan. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, high...
and Gilgit
Gilgit
Gilgit is a city in northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley* Gilgit District* Gilgit Agency * Gilgit Airport...
to the Baloch coast in the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
. The Afghan government called Balochistan "South Pashtunistan" in statements and publications. The Afghan expansionist policy reflected the economic considerations of a landlocked state. At the same time, it was impossible for the Afghan government to neglect its own national interests and to support the movement of an independent Greater Balochistan, which claimed the Baloch region in Afghanistan.
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
did not pursue Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
's policy in the East. Moreover, the Soviet government was unwilling to annoy the Afghans or the British, both of whom opposed the creation of an independent Balochistan.
Delegitimisation
Meanwhile, a Farman Royal Order issued by the Khan on May 24, 1948 stated that the Prince and his party were to be regarded as a rebel group; no connection of any sort with the Prince and his party should be maintained, nor should they be given rations; further, if any member of the rebel group committed an offence, he would be punished. The Government of Pakistan moved the army to the military posts of PunjabWest Punjab
West Punjab was a province of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955. The province covered an area of 160,622 km², including much of the current Punjab province and the Islamabad Capital Territory, but excluding the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The capital was the city of Lahore and the province...
, Chaman Chashme, and Rastri near the Afghan border, attempting to control the rebels' rations which were being sent by pro-separatist elements, and to control their activities or stop any attempt at invasion. The Pakistani authorities confirmed two clashes between the army and the rebels.
To avoid popular unrest in Balochistan, the Khan sent his maternal uncles Hajji Ibrahim Khan and Hajji Taj Mohammed from Sarlath to bring Prince Karim back to Kalat. Khan made his return conditional.
The Prince and the separatist movement failed to achieve internal and external support. Moreover, the Baloch nationalists were divided into two groups. Anqa and Malik
Malik
Malik is an Arabic word meaning "king, chieftain".It has been adopted in various other, mainly Islamized or Arabized, Asian languages for their ruling princes and to render kings elsewhere. It is also sometimes used in derived meanings...
Saeed favoured armed struggle in the form of guerilla war, while Mir Ghous Bux Bizenjo and other prominent leaders wished to resolve all issues by negotiation.
Return and capture
The Prince was forced to return to the Khanate and negotiate for his demands peacefully. On July 8, 1948, when the news of the Prince's arrival reached Kalat, the Prime Minister and a Kalat State Force went to meet the Prince at Earboi to deliver the Khan's message.With Afghan aid, Abdul Karim entered Balochistan and organised a rebellion against Pakistan in the Jhalawan
Jhalawan
Jhalawan was established in the 17th century and its boundary was fixed with Sindh in 1853. The country was south of Kalat State, north of the Sarawan, west of the Kachi and Sindh and east of the Kharan and Makran. Jhalawan has important valleys of Baluchistan, such as Kalat, Gidar, Baghwana,...
area. He received assistance from Mir Gohar Khan Zehri, an influential tribal leader of the Zarkzai clan. Major General Akbar Khan, who was in charge of the Pakistani army's Seventh Regiment, was ordered to attack the insurgents and force them to surrender. Prince Karim and his 142 followers were arrested and imprisoned in the Machh
Machh
Machh, or Mach, is a small town and union council of Bolan District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The town has an altitude of 1006 metres and is located at 29°52'0N 67°19'60E, - some about 50 km southeast of Quetta, the provincial capital...
and Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
jails.
A detailed and interesting statement comes from General Akbar Khan, in his article published in the daily Dawn, dated August 14, 1960, under the title "Early reminiscences of a soldier." In this article, General Akbar confirms that there was a plan to invade the Khanate and describes the clash between the Pakistani army and the separatist force headed by Prince Karim. Akbar claims that Jinnah had issued instructions that this news should not be published in the Pakistani press.Jinnah was dead by then.
Trial and sentencing
After the arrest of the Prince and his party, the Attorney Governor General gave an order for an inquiry, to be conducted by Khan Sahib Abdullah Khan, the Additional District Magistrate of Quetta. He submitted his report on September 12, 1948. His report was based on the Prince's activities and upon the letters and documents published by the separatist force. After the inquiry, R. K. Saker, the District Magistrate of Quetta, appointed a special JirgaJirga
A jirga is a tribal assembly of elders which takes decisions by consensus, particularly among the Pashtun people but also in other ethnic groups near them; they are most common in Afghanistan and among the Pashtuns in Pakistan near its border with Afghanistan...
(official council of elders) consisting of the following persons:
1. Khan Bahador Sahibzada, M.Ayub Khan Isakhel, Pashtoon from Pishin;
2. K.B. Baz Mohd Khan. Jogezai
Jogezai
Jogezai is a Pashtun tribe settled in Pakistan .It is A sub Tribe Of Kakar Jalalzai Sanzarkhail. The majority of the Jogezai live in the valley of Zhob in Pakistan. Their current Nawab is Nawab Mohammad Ayaz Khan Jogezai who is also prominent leader of Pashtunkhwa Party who are against the...
, Pashtoon from Loralai
Loralai
Loralai is the principal city of Loralai District in the northeast of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. It was formerly known as Bori. It is four thousand seven hundred feet above the sea level....
;
3. Abdul Ghaffar Khan Achakzai, Pashtoon from Pishin;
4. S.B. Wadera Noor Muhammad Khan, a Baloch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
Chief from Kalat;
5. Syed Aurang Shah from Kalat;
6. Sheikh Baz Gul Khan Mandokhail. Pashtoon from Zhob
Zhob
-Roads:Zhob is 333 kilometers from Quetta, 225 kilometers from Dera Ismail Khan. However, the road linking with Dera Ismail Khan is for most part fair nowadays track passing through water streams and almost complete road is metalloid....
;
7. Wahab Khan Panezai, Pashtoon from Sibi
Sibi
Sibi is a city of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city is located at 29°33'0N 67°52'60E at an altitude of 130 metres and is headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name.. According to the 2001 census of Pakistan the population of Sibi is 52,100...
;
8. Sardar Doda Khan Marri, Baloch
Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
from Sibi
Sibi
Sibi is a city of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city is located at 29°33'0N 67°52'60E at an altitude of 130 metres and is headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name.. According to the 2001 census of Pakistan the population of Sibi is 52,100...
.
This Jirga was instructed to study the circumstances and events which led to the revolt and was asked to give its recommendations to the District Magistrate. On November 10, 1948, the Jirga heard the testimony of the accused and gave its recommendations to the D.M. on November 17, 1948, suggesting the delivery of the Prince to Loralai
Loralai
Loralai is the principal city of Loralai District in the northeast of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. It was formerly known as Bori. It is four thousand seven hundred feet above the sea level....
at the pleasure of the Government of Pakistan and various other penalties. The D.M., in his order dated November 27, 1948, differed with the opinion of the Jirga and sentenced the Prince to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 5000 rupees. Other members of his party were given various sentences and fines.