Ajmal Khattak
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Ajmal Khattak (Urdu: اجمل خٹک) (b. September 15, 1925) is a Pakistani politician, writer and Pashtun poet and close friend of the late Khan Wali Khan.
He has had a long career in both the anti-imperial movement against the British in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan as well as part of the National Awami Party(NAP) in its various incarnations in Pakistan. His early political career began during the Quit India movement after he came under the influence of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement. He was forced to leave the school due to his involvement in the Quit India Movement. As a writer he served as editor of various Newspapers and periodicals, including Anjam, Shahbaz, Adal and Rahber as well as script writer for Radio Pakistan.
He was elected as a member of NWFP Provincial Assembly and served as a Provincial minister in the cabinet of Mufti Mehmood's NAP - JUI government in 1972. After the resignation of the NWFP cabinet in protest at President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's dismissal of the Balochistan government led by Sardar Ataullah Mengal, Ajmal Khattak became the Secretary General of the National Awami Party.
He was the organizer and stage secretary at the United Democratic Front rally held at Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi on March 23, 1973, when shots were fired at the UDF leaders, including Khan Abdul Wali Khan. In the general melee that followed, a number of UDF and NAP workers were killed by the authorities in their attempt at ending the rally.
Since Ajmal Khattak was a prominent figure in the National Awami Party, he was wanted by the Federal Security Force as part of the general crackdown on NAP. In order to avoid arrest and possible torture, he fled into self imposed exile to Afghanistan and stayed there for 16 long years.
During his years in Kabul, Ajmal Khattak was a close confidant of Badshah Khan, and also enjoyed excellent relations with leaders of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, including President Nur Muhammad Taraki, Babrak Karmal and Dr. Mohammad Najibullah.
He ended his exile in 1989 after the Awami National Party(ANP), the successor of the NAP, entered into an electoral alliance with Nawaz Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League- led Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI).
In the general election of October 1990, Ajmal Khattak was elected from his home district of Nowshera to the National Assembly of Pakistan, defeating Tariq Khattak of the Pakistan Peoples Party. These elections also signalled the retirement of Khan Wali Khan after his electoral loss to Maulana Hassan Jan of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. Ajmal Khattak was elected as the President of the Awami National Party when Khan Wali Khan stepped down from the post.
In the 1993 general elections, Ajmal Khattak lost his reelection bid in Nowshera to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) candidate Major General Naseerullah Babar. As a leading critic of the PPP, it was important for the ANP - IJI alliance to have Ajmal Khattak in parliament, and he was therefore nominated to the Senate of Pakistan in March 1994. His two terms as President of the Awami National Party were noted primarily for the close alliance with former opponents, the Muslim League, after the alliance collapsed in January 1998 over the renaming of the province of NWFP to Pakthunkhwa and Khattak role in leading the Awami National party briefly into joining an alliance known as the Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement (PONM). The decision to join PONM was made despite strong pressure from party critics who preferred the ANP to ally themselves with a Federal party like the Peoples Party. Eventually, Khattak succumbed to party pressure and the Awami National Party left PONM ( Qazi 2005), joining the Grand Democratic Alliance which included the Paistan People's Party.
The author of many books in Pashto he has written 13 books in Pushto and Urdu including a History of Pushto Literature (in Urdu) 'Pakistan Main Qaumi Jamhoori Tehrikin, Da Ghirat Chagha, Batoor, Gul auo Perhar, Guloona auo Takaloona, Jalawatan ki Shairee, Pukhtana Shora and Da Wakht Chagha.
He was ousted as ANP President in 2000, after a protracted power struggle with Nasim Wali Khan, triggered by accusations of his closeness to Pervaiz Musharraf and his criticism of corrupt politicians in a press conference. Deciding to leave the party he briefly led a splinter group called National Awami Party of Pakistan. His Party was routed in the 2002 general elections amidst the religo-political parties alliance, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), sweep of NWFP. After the shock victory of the MMA, he rejoined the Awami National Party after efforts by Khan Wali Khan. He has now retired from active politics and lives in his village home in Akora Khattak.
[edit] See also
- Bacha Khan
- National Awami Party
- Khan Wali Khan
- Awami National Party
- Khudai Khidmatgar
- Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement
[edit] References
- Qazi, Raza Rahman Khan ( September 2005) Abdul Rahim Mandokhel: Essentially Pakhtun. The NEWS on Sunday. Jang Group. Available online at [1]
- From Khudai Khidmatgar to National Politician : An interview with Ajmal Khattak, The NEWS Islamabad, February 11, 1994.
