Remembering Ajmal Khattak: Story of a legend

Frontier Post

Ajmal Khattak was born in the house of Hikmat Khan Khattak on 15th September 1925 at Akora Khattak. His family traced back to Kushkhal Khan Khattak in 10th generation. Ajmal Khattak was the only son of Hikmat Khan. Beside Ajmal he had four daughters. In 1936, Ajmal Khattak was just eleven when his father was died. After the death of his father his family faces livelihood problems. In such a critical situation his mother and sisters worked by carving the decoration designs and sewing cloths. They worked hard to earn money and educated Ajmal Khattak.Ajmal Khattak was naturally talented. He received his early education from the village mosque. He studied Gulistan, Bostan, Khulasa and Munya from Mulana Abdul Qayyum. He learnt Holy Quran with translation, Bukhari Sharief, Mashqat, Mukhtasar-ul-Maghani from Maulana Abdul Haq Sahib, Maulana Qazi Aminul Haq and his uncle Maulana Mohammad Umer Sahib. He was admitted in class 2 in Akora Khattak Middle School. When Ajmal passed 4th, his relatives wished that he should stop his education and start helping his mother and sisters in earning money for livelihood. His brilliance in education played an important role in continuing his education. He passed 4th with outstanding marks. A scholarship of Rs. 2 was given to him. His mother stressed on continuing his education. He got first position in the province in class 8th and his scholarship rose to Rs. 8/. That scholarship was not only enough for his education but for his home expenses as well. That’s why he continues his education. After completion his education at Akora Khattak, he took admission in Govt. High School Peshawar in 1942. In that school he was the class mate of famous Indian actor Raj Kapur. Beside brilliance in study he was fond of games as well. He was all rounder in badminton, volleyball and particularly the champion of football. After completion of his early education, Ajmal couldn’t continue his further education due to one or other reason. One of the reasons was his involvement in politics and the other was the beginning of World War II. The most important one is the family poorness and his involvement in politics. During his service as a teacher he got master degrees in Persian, Pashto, and Urdu. In the absence of his father and the only male member of the family, Ajmal Khattak starts his career as a teacher in 1943 when he was just 18. First he was appointed as a teacher at Katozai School Charsadda. Later on he was transferred to Ziarat Kaka Sahib. From 1946-47 he worked as a teacher in different schools like Badrashi, Pirpai, Akora and Pabbi. In 1952, Ajmal Khattak married his cousin Jamshed Begum when he was just 27. From Jamshed Begum, Ajmal Khattak had three sons and two daughters. Ajmal Khattak versatility not confined to a specific field. He was a versatile in every field of life whether it was teaching, politics or literature. Journalism was another field in which he also got fame. He is known to be a brilliant journalist. After the creation of Pakistan, he was suspended from teaching by the government due to his involvement in politics. He was introduced to Radio Pakistan by Samandar Khan Samndar, the famous Pashto writer and poet on 1st April 1948. He started working in radio Pakistan as a script writer till 1953. After that he started his journalistic career. In this context he along with Pir Muhammad Salik started a monthly journal Addal which play a key role in his journalistic life. He worked in the Urdu daily newspaper, Jhang. He became an editor of Urdu daily newspaper Anjam in 1956, which is called now-a-days Mashriq Peshawar. He remains editor of Urdu daily Bang-e- Harram and Shahbaz. Political Life Ajmal Kahttak starts his political career as a Khudai Khidmatgar, when he was in class 9th at Govt. High School Peshawar. He became a formal member of that movement at the age of 17. He was greatly impressed by Baacha Khan. In his early childhood when Baacha Khan visited Nowshehra, he placed his hand on his head and told him that; ‘I am struggling for you.’ Ajmal Khattak also met Subash Chandar Bose. Those two personalities played key role in his political life. During his stay in radio Pakistan he wrote many revolutionary poems. A poem title ‘Bedar Nojawan ka Geet’ in Urdu was the famous one. In March 1952, in an inauguration ceremony of the Akbar Memorial College Mardan (presently Government Postgraduate College Mardan), Ajmal Khattak sang the same poem in front of the then Chief Minister of NWFP, Qayyum Khan and his Cabinet, who was the Chief Guest of the inauguration ceremony. Trans. “Don’t show me the lavish picture of life because I want to serve my nation at all cost.”Resultantly, the gathering came to an end in hurry and he was arrested after a few days of the ceremony and was send to jail for 18 months without any interrogation. To aware Pakhtuns, he established a league with the name ‘Pakhtun League’. On this the then Muslim league government of Pakistan arrested him again in April 1953. He was imprisoned in Pabbi and Nowshera jails. He was in and out from jail till 1964. Ajmal Khattak participated in 1970 elections as a NAP-Wali candidate from NA-IV Peshawar but lost his seat to Maulana Abdul Haq of JUI. After Liaqat Bagh massacre, he fled to Afghanistan and stayed there for 16 years. After consultation with party leaders in order to avoid arrest and possible torture he ended his exile life. In his 16 years exile period he kept himself aloof from Pakistan politics. His exile life in Afghanistan ended on 27th January 1989 when he came back to Pakistan. One year after his exile period he became the member of National Assembly from NA-IV (Peshawar-Nowshehra). On 19th January 1991 Ajmal Khattak became the Central President of ANP replacing Wali Khan. In 1993 elections Ajmal Khattak lost his seat to PPP candidate Major Gen (R) Naseer Ullah Khan Baber but elected as a Senator in March 1993. In Senate, he remained a member of the Senate standing committee of Foreign affairs, Kashmir affair and Northern Areas, Interior, Narcotics Control, State and Frontier Regions, Information and Broadcasting. He was also a member of the Functional committee of the Senate on Government assurances. He was elected Central President of ANP for the second term in 1994 till 1997. His (Ajmal Khattak) 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 NWFP to Pakthunkhwa and Khattak role in leading the Awami National Party briefly into joining an alliance known as Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement (PONM). On 3rd October 1998, he was elected as General Secretary of the PONM. The decision to join PONM was made despite strong pressure from party critics who preferred the ANP to ally themselves with a party like the Peoples Party. Eventually, Khattak succumbed to party pressure and the Awami National Party left PONM joining the Grand Democratic Alliance which included the PPP. In 1999, he met General Pervez Musharaf. In the meeting he discussed the country situation both internal and external. He advised Musharraf that through dialogue and his personal service he could bring out the country of such a critical situation. After meeting with Musharraf, Ajmal Khattak met with Khan Abdul Wali Khan, the part’s Rehbar-e-Tehreek next day. Begum Naseem and Asfandyar Wali Khan were also present. He told them in detail that Musharaf wants to change the entire system of the country. He narrated him all the detail of General Pervez Musharaf meeting. Khan Abdul Wali Khan replied that; ‘I also wanted so which was adopted by the General Musharaf.’ As a consequence, he received a show cause notice from the central President of ANP, Asfandyar Wali Khan, on 17th May 2000, in which he demanded from Ajmal Khattak to clarify his position that why did he meet with General Musharaf without the prior approval of the party? In reply to show cause notice, Ajmal Khattak sang his emotional poem which he sang earlier in front of Qayyum Khan. He narrated that poem in a gathering of Urdu Science Board Peshawar, in his Presidential address. As a result his party membership was suspended. On 20th May, 2000, he was expelled from party after the approval of central committee on 22nd May, 2000. After separation from ANP he laid the foundation of Pakistan National Awami Party (PNAP) on 23rd and 24th November 2000 in the Hujra of Arbab Muhammad Ayub Jan at Nasirpur. Ajmal Khattak was elected its President. He revived PNAP after separating from ANP for the achievement of Pakhyuns rights. In 2002 elections PNAP couldn’t secure a single seat while ANP secured 10. At that time he was near to retire from active politics and live at his native village Akora Khattak. On the request of Wali Khan he remerge PNAP into ANP. Literal AchievementsAjmal Khattak has natural inclination towards fact. One day he visits to the tomb of his great grandfather Khuskhal Khan Khattak. He saw that the tomb of that legend was in miserable condition. He felt that and concluded that in a few verses. Trans: “The grave of my grandfather Khushkhal Khan Khattak has lost its original shape. His grandsons were too rich but they never knew about their grandfather tomb which was in miserable condition.”On the death of his father Hikmat Khan, Ajmal Khattak wrote some emotional verses. In 1937 he narrates that poem in a Mushaira on the tomb of Khushkhal Khan. The starting lines of the pomes areTrans: “O, People, in the ashes I see the pearl/diamond of Badkhshan (province of Afghanistan) this is why, here I see the gathering of Poets of NWFP.”After that Mushaira, Ajmal Kahttak became a renowned poet and participation in poetic gathering became his routine. He is not only a good prose writer but he is a nice revolutionary poet as well. He wrote fourteen books nine of them were Pashto poetry. One Urdu Ghazliyat, two of them were Pashto prose, one drama type and one is his autobiography. Those are Da Ghairat Chegha, Batoor, Da Wakht Chegha, Guloona Takaloona, Gul Parhar, Jond au Khwand, Da Za Pagal Wom, Zond au Fun, Jalawatan ki Shairi,Sray Ghunchay, Qisa zama da Adabi Zond and etc. The collection Da Ghairat Chegha was banned in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. His first poem was published in 1944 in Pashto magazine “Pakhtun” started by Baacha Khan. The legendry poet, politician and pakhtun leader died on 7th February 2010 night 8:30 PM at his home. His funeral prayer was asked on 8th February in his home town Akora Khattak and buried there.