Bacha Khan’s Pakistan People’s Party

In May 1948, Pakistan People’s Party was founded in Karachi. Ghaffar Khan was elected president and G. M. Sayyid, general secretary. Its objectives included stabilization and security of Pakistan as a union of Socialist republics

The first non-communal opposition party, the Pakistan People’s Party, was organized by the former Red Shirt leader, ‘Abd al-Ghaffar Khan…[T]he Red Shirts had boycotted the referendum in the NWFP due to the lack of an alternative for “a free Pathan State”, and on August 14, they could not attend the flag-hoisting ceremony as the Governor of the province, Sir George Cunnigham, advised them not to do so for fear of “hostile demonstrations.” But about two weeks later, in a meeting at Sardaryab, they severed connections with the Indian National Congress and pledged loyalty to Pakistan. They protested against the “undemocratic” dismissal of Dr. Khan Sahib’s ministry, but ruled out any step that might create difficulties for the provincial and central governments.

This political placidity was broken when Ghaffar Khan attended the Constituent Assembly’s session in March 1948. Reiterating his loyalty to Pakistan, he explained that his programme was “constructive not destructive”, and that the Khuda’i Khidmatgar, originally a social movement, had been forced into a political course and into alliance with the Congress. The need now, in his opinion, was for political parties with an economic programme; as the Muslim League, by achieving Pakistan, had served its purpose. He denied the charge of having claimed that Pathans were a “separate nationality”; and said that what his demand really meant was that all the areas inhabited by the Pathans on this side of the Durand Line should be united and called Pukhtunistan, as the regions inhabited by Sindhis, Punjabis, and Bengalis were called after their names. During his stay at Karachi, Ghaffar Khan also had the satisfactory talks with the Qa’id-I A’zam; but, according to Red Shirt sources, this trend of compromise was spoilt by the machinations of the provincial Muslim League leadership.

Getting a negative response to his ideas for making the Muslim League a non-communal party as well as to his other proposals, Ghaffar Khan convened a meeting of political workers at Karachi on May 8, 1948. In this it was decided to organize the Pakistan People’s Party as a constitutional opposition. Prominent Muslims participating in this meeting were G. M. Sayyid and ‘Abd al-Samad Achakza’I, who had in the past been referred to as the “Baluchistan Gandhi”. Ghaffar Khan was elected president of the new party and G. M. Sayyid, general secretary. Membership was open to all communities. Its objectives included the following: (i) full autonomy for all the “linguistic groups”; (ii) stabilization and security of Pakistan as a union of Socialist republics drawing all its authority and sanction from the people; and (iii) cultural relations with neighbouring states, particularly with Indian Union.

Organized by former opponents of the Pakistan movement, the party was not expected to have a smooth existence. On his return to the NWFP, Ghaffar Khan extended the   Khuda’i Khidmatgar movement to all the provinces, with the intention that it should serve as the volunteer corps of the new party, and yet retain its separate identity. He started a tour of the province to introduce the party programme to the people; but within a month, on June 15, he was arrested along with his son, ‘Abd al-Wali Khan, and Qazi ‘Ata Allah Khan and ‘Abd al-Samad Achakza’I were also taken into custody. According to the CID account, Ghaffar Khan, in his speeches during the tour, was reported to have charged that the leadership and power in Pakistan had been usurped by the refugees. He went on to say that Jinnah, as Governor General, was a nominee of the British Crown, and that therefore he was not responsible to the nation and, through him, the British were still ruling. The Pakistan government, he observed, had re-employed the British officers relieved by the Indian Union government, and added that Pakistan was a sandy wall incapable of sustaining one kick. In a summary trial by the District Magistrate of Kohat , he was charged with sedition and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.

In July 1948, the NWFP government, assuming powers by an ordinance, banned the Red Shirt organization. The climax was reached on August 12, with the tragic police firing on the Red Shirt demonstrators in the Babra village of Charsada Tehsil, resulting in heavy casualties. The People’s Party disappeared with these events; but the issues it raised later appeared with increased intensity and with lesser ambiguity.

The text above is an extract from Political Parties in Pakistan 1947-1958 (pp 89-91) by M Rafique Afzal. This book was published (1976) by National Commission on Historical and Cultural Research, Islamabad