Prince Karim Khan

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Prince Agha Abdul Karim Ahmedzai was the younger brother of the Khan of Kalat, Mir Ahmedyar Khan, who was the last ruler of independent Baluchistan. After the British left Baluchistan on 13 August 1947, the Khan of Kalat declared independence on the 15th August 1947 (one day after the formation of Pakistan).

On the May 16, 1948 Prince Agha Abdul Karim Khan Ahmadzai led a nationalist uprising against the Pakistan government and for the independence of Baluchistan. He led a small force of Kalat State army, armed tribesman, intellectuals, politicians and his key associates to Sarlath on the Afghanistan border and started sending out messengers to Baluch tribes and sardars, Afghan sardars in Kandahar and the Afghan government in Kabul.[citation needed] He started spending Kalat State treasury in his possession to buy arms and attempted to organise his force. He based his force close to the Afghan border in the hope of military assistance from Afghanistan since the Baluch state had long historical relationships with the Afghans.[citation needed]

The Prince invited the leading members of political parties—the Kalat State National Party, the , and the — to join him in the struggle for the creation of an independent and socialist Baluchistan. Apart from his political aspirations, the Agha Abdul Karim was younger, braver and much more nationalistic and willing to struggle then his elder brother the Khan of Kalat. His struggle was nationalistic and leftist as indicated by the flag which was red with three golden stars, each representing the three parts of Balochistan, namely those in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.[citation needed]

Origins and allies of the movement[]

As stated earlier, Prince Karim decided to move closer to Afghan border with the hope of getting assistance from Afghanistan due to long historical ties with the Afghans. His aim was independence, Baluchistan was an independent princely state under the British with bilateral treaties with the British crown. Prince Karim had leftist revolutionary tendencies and was influenced by Marxism-Leninism.[citation needed]

Some of the prominent political leaders and intellectuals who had joined Agha Abdul Karim were (the secretary of the Baluch League and the editor of ), Malik Saeed Dehwar (the secretary of the Kalat State National Party), (a member of the Baluch League and former general secretary of the Sindh-Baluchistan Communist Party), (a member of ) and several prominent members of the Sind-Balochistan branch of the Communist Party. The attached picture here shows the key leaders of the rebellion, from left to right standing are Kadir Bux Nizamani, Malik Saeed Dehwar, Abdul Wahid Kurd and seated from left to right are Muhammed Hussain Anka, Agha Abdul Karim Ahmedzai and Mir Ahamed Khan Ahmedzai.[citation needed]

Plan of action[]

The Agha Abdul Karim took several actions and followed an active policy to achieve his goal which was to keep the Baluch state of Kalat as an independent state. His mission was independence and the creation of a socialist republic of Baluchistan as shown by the actions he took, in this he differed greatly from his older brother who was more interested in protecting his status and dynasty and continuing the status quo.[citation needed]

Nizamani's contemporary notes show that Agha Abdul Karim was determined to fight to create an independent and socialist Baluchistan (see Photo 2 showing Nizamani's notes). Nizamani writes that Agha Abdul Karim spend funds buying arms, training fighters, sending emissaries to Afghanistan and Iran, studying texts of the works of Marx and Lenin. He was inspired by the Russian Revolution and wanted freedom and emancipation for the Baluch people. Nizamani writes that Khan of Kalat sent the maternal uncle Ibrahim Khan and Maulvi Taj Muhammed to see Agha Abdul Karim and persuade him to surrender and return to Kalat but Agha Abdul Karim refused to do so.[citation needed]

Agha Abdul Karim sent messages to of the tribe, , and of Chagai, and several other chiefs. Appealing to Baloch tribes to support the uprising and sending representations to Afghanistan for assistance due to historical ties with the Afghans.[citation needed]

Armed struggle[]

The Agha Abdul Karim Khan issued an appeal to individuals to help with the recruitment. The revolt had been spontaneous and lacked organisation, it was based on a strong feeling and passion for an independent Baluchistan. Nizamani in contemporary records states that he tried to help Agha to organise a command structure on the force and instill order, procedures and tactics of a revolutionary army.[citation needed]

Soviets and Afghans[]

Agha Abdul Karim appointed Malik Saeed Dehwar and 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 listened with sympathy but declined to provide military help. The Afghan authorities also declined to permit the rebel group to operate from Afghan soil. Nizamani informed the Iranian Embassy of the Baloch uprising 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 representatives was the Soviet Embassy. The Soviet diplomats listened carefully to Nizamani who spoke fluent Russian. Though they did not give any assurances, they did promise to inform Moscow.

The Government of Pakistan moved the army to the military posts of Punjab, , and near the Afghan border, attempting to control the rebels' rations which were being sent by Baloch nationalist elements, and to control their activities or stop any attempt at invasion. The Pakistani authorities confirmed two clashes between the army and the rebels. Following these clashes between a well organised and modern army and a spontaneously raised Baloch tribal force, Agha Abdul Karim's force was surrounded and defeated and Agha Abdul Karim was captured. In his contemporary records, Nizamani states that on their return when the crossed the border from Afghanistan into Baluchistan (Pakistan), they found out that Agha had been captured.[citation needed]

The Prince and the separatist movement failed to achieve wide internal and any external support. Moreover, the Baluch nationalists were divided into two groups. Agha, Anqa, Nizamani and Malik Saeed favoured armed struggle in the form of guerilla war, while Mir Ghous Bux Bizenjo and the Khan of Kalat himself wished to resolve all issues by negotiation within Pakistan. Also, Baluchistan was ill prepared for an uprising, communications were weak and many were unaware of the uprising.

Return and capture[]

After his capture, the Prince was forced to return to Kalat and negotiate for his demands. 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 to deliver the Khan's message. Thereafter, the Prince Karim and his followers were arrested and imprisoned in the Machh and Quetta jails. In total, the Prince Agha Abdul Karim Khan spent 25 years in Pakistani prisons. His first term was 10 years and on his release, he was rearrested on new charges and jailed for 10 years again.[citation needed]

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 , 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 Baluch force. After the inquiry, , the District Magistrate of Quetta, appointed a special Jirga (official council of elders) consisting of the following persons:[citation needed]

1. , Pashtoon from Pishin; 2. . Jogezai, Pashtoon from Loralai; 3. , Pashtoon from Pishin; 4. , a Baloch Chief from Kalat; 5. from Kalat; 6. . Pashtoon from Zhob; 7. , Pashtoon from Sibi; 8. , 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. It is noteworthy, that after his 10 years in prison, on his release, the Pakistan government laid fresh charges on the Prince and he was jailed for another 10 years. In total, he ended up spending nearly 25 years in prison.[citation needed]

The rebellion of the Prince and his subsequent years in prison, created an inspirational legacy. The Prince and his comrades like Muhammed Hussain Anka spent many years together in Mach Jail in North West Frontier Province in Pakistan from where Anka regularly wrote letters to Baluch nationalists, shown here is one of his letters written to Nizamani in 1953, the text of this and other letters shows that the imprisoned Prince and his comrades remained greatly motivated and committed to the cause of Baluch independence (see Photo 2 Letter Anka). The Prince Agha Abdul Karim retains the admiration and affection of the Baluch people, the attached photo shows an elderly Prince Karim before in 1972. To the end, he was committed to Baluch independence and emancipation of the Baluch people. He died in 1973 and was buried in his ancestral cemetery in Kalat, Baluchistan.[citation needed]

See also[]

External links[]

  • Genealogy of the Khans of Kalat
  • "1948: Abdul Karim's reign". Hindustan Times. August 28, 2006.
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