Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Bakhshali Bakhshali ( ur, بخشالی) is a village and union council in Mardan District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is located at 34°17'0N 72°9'0E and has an altitude of 307 metres (1010 feet). History The village is notable for being the loc ...

Mardan District Mardan District ( ps, مردان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Mardan Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The district is named after Mardan city, which is also the headquarters of the district. The district is famou ...

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...

North West Frontier Province The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP; ps, شمال لویدیځ سرحدي ولایت, ) was a Chief Commissioner's Province of British India, established on 9 November 1901 from the north-western districts of the Punjab Province. Followin ...

Swabi Swabi ( ps, صوابۍ; ur, ) is a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan,Mardan District, a village adjacent to village

Bakhshali Bakhshali ( ur, بخشالی) is a village and union council in Mardan District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is located at 34°17'0N 72°9'0E and has an altitude of 307 metres (1010 feet). History The village is notable for being the loc ...

. Later, he got his lower and high secondary school education from Government High School in Mardan. He topped the middle and matriculation examination from Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

. At the eve of the final day,

Sikandar Mirza Sikandar Mirza (or Iskander/Alexander Mirza) (died 1613) was an Armenian merchant who travelled from Aleppo to Lahore and became a trusted figure within Akbar's court in the Mughal Empire.Mardan, was the chief guest at the Annual Award Ceremony. Khan Amirzadah Khan being a top student both in academic and extra curricular activities and also won the declamation contest in the same function, the Chief Guest presented a 38 Bore Revolver to Amirzada Khan as a gift. At that time, only the people with great honor could carry a weapon and Khan Amirzadah Khan was bestowed with that honor. After his graduation from University of Punjab, he went to

Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh Muslim University (abbreviated as AMU) is a Public University, public Central University (India), central university in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Orie ...

for his higher studies. There, he received his law degree with distinction. On completion of his studies, he shifted to

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

and started apprenticeship with renowned lawyer of the time

A. K. Brohi Allah Bukhsh Karim Bukhsh Brohi ( ur, ; sd, الھ بخش ڪريم بخش بروھي; 1915 – 1987) known as A.K. Brohi) was a prominent Pakistani politician and lawyer. He originated from Shikarpur in Sindh. He was the first partne ...

. After completion of apprenticeship, he shifted back to Mardan and started his law practice.

Political career

He was an active member of Khudai Khidmatgar since his student life. He started active politics from the same nationalist, secular and socialistic organization (which later became National Awami Party) and he remained President of National Awami Party District Mardan (now District Mardan & District

Swabi Swabi ( ps, صوابۍ; ur, ) is a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan,Abdul Ghaffar Khan Abdul Ghaffār Khān (; 6 February 1890 – 20 January 1988), also known as Bacha Khan () or Badshah Khan (), and honourably addressed as Fakhr-e-Afghan (), was a Pakistani Pashtun, independence activist, and founder of the Khudai Khidmatgar ...

was arrested. Although Khan Amirzadah Khan was a junior Lawyer but at that time nobody had the courage to confront the military regime. Khan Amirzadah Khan volunteered and advocated the case of Abdul Ghaffar Khan against the martial law regime of

Ayub Khan Ayub Khan is a compound masculine name; Ayub is the Arabic version of the name of the Biblical figure Job, while Khan or Khaan is taken from the title used first by the Mongol rulers and then, in particular, their Islamic and Persian-influenced s ...

. The NAP, along with the

Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people. The adjective appears in the following proper names: *Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan *Awami Front, wa ...

expected to easily win the planned 1959 planned general elections. Its primary aim was the disbanding of the One Unit Scheme in

West Pakistan West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was d ...

and a fair deal for the increasingly discontented people of

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...

. After the coup of Ayub Khan, political parties were banned and the NAP faced a harsh crackdown from the pro-USA government. The NAP was regarded by some as a front organization of the

Communist Party of Pakistan The Communist Party of Pakistan ( abbr. CPP; ur, کمیونسٹ پارٹی آف پاکستان) is a communist party in Pakistan. History Founding The CPP was founded in Calcutta, India, soon after the establishment of Pakistan on 6 March 1948 ...

. Hasan Nasir, the NAP office secretary, also a card-carrying member of the Communist Party, was tortured to death in custody.

Mirza Mehdy Ispahani Mirza Mehdy Ispahani (also known as Sadri Ispahani; 1923–2004), son of Mirza Ahmad Ispahani, was Chairman of M.M. Ispahani from 1949 until 2004. Mirza Ali Behrouze Ispahani, son of Mirza Mehdy Ispahani was elected as the Chairman of M.M. Ispah ...

(a.k.a. Sadri Ispahani) was the treasurer of National Awami Party.

Election March 1964 general elections

In 1964

Ayub Khan Ayub Khan is a compound masculine name; Ayub is the Arabic version of the name of the Biblical figure Job, while Khan or Khaan is taken from the title used first by the Mongol rulers and then, in particular, their Islamic and Persian-influenced s ...

conducted elections in Pakistan on the basis of his own hand-made rule known as Basic Democracy System in which there was no concept of one man, one vote. Only 85 Thousand People were eligible to vote in the then combined Pakistan, i.e. East Pakistan and West Pakistan. Ayub Khan was contesting the elections from the official/govt party named Convention Muslim League. Elections were also scheduled for the National Assembly of Pakistan. In which the present district Mardan and district Swabi had a combined one Constituency. The Government Party selected the Nawab of Hoti,

Nawabzada Abdul Ghafoor Khan Hoti Nawabzada Abdul Ghafoor Khan Hoti (1923–1998) was a former governor of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (known as NWFP at the time) province of Pakistan. Belonging to Mardan, he was the son of Nawab Akbar Khan Hoti and father of Inspector General of K ...

as their candidate and The All Parties combined opposition selected a middle class lawyer Khan Amirzadah Khan to contest the election against the Nawabzada.

Nawabzada Abdul Ghafoor Khan Hoti Nawabzada Abdul Ghafoor Khan Hoti (1923–1998) was a former governor of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (known as NWFP at the time) province of Pakistan. Belonging to Mardan, he was the son of Nawab Akbar Khan Hoti and father of Inspector General of K ...

being the Nawab of the area wished to be elected unopposed hence Khan Amirzadah Khan was pressured and influenced by all available means to withdraw in favor of

Nawabzada Abdul Ghafoor Khan Hoti Nawabzada Abdul Ghafoor Khan Hoti (1923–1998) was a former governor of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (known as NWFP at the time) province of Pakistan. Belonging to Mardan, he was the son of Nawab Akbar Khan Hoti and father of Inspector General of K ...

. Finally, he was offered a prime agricultural land of 2000 canals in Toot Kalli Area of Mardan nearby Khan Amirzadah Khan's village

Bakhshali Bakhshali ( ur, بخشالی) is a village and union council in Mardan District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is located at 34°17'0N 72°9'0E and has an altitude of 307 metres (1010 feet). History The village is notable for being the loc ...

and a cash amount of Rupees Five Hundred Thousands was offered (at that time Gold was less than RS.100 a tola). But this middle-class man of honour refused to budge in spite of the fact that he knew very well that his chances of winning the election against

Nawabzada Abdul Ghafoor Khan Hoti Nawabzada Abdul Ghafoor Khan Hoti (1923–1998) was a former governor of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (known as NWFP at the time) province of Pakistan. Belonging to Mardan, he was the son of Nawab Akbar Khan Hoti and father of Inspector General of K ...

are minimal. Khan Amirzadah Khan lost the elections by a small margin but did not lose his self-esteem and self-respect which lead to his extreme popularity in the masses and then when in 1970 general elections, he contested for both National Assembly of Pakistan as well as Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he won both seats with overwhelming majority.

Period after 1964 elections

After the Elections, Khan Amirzadah Khan continued his law practice and almost 50 percent of his cases were against the government and advocated cases for the Political Workers of National Awami Party (NAP) and other opposition parties. He continued his political activities and used to be considered one of the most trusted person of

Abdul Ghaffar Khan Abdul Ghaffār Khān (; 6 February 1890 – 20 January 1988), also known as Bacha Khan () or Badshah Khan (), and honourably addressed as Fakhr-e-Afghan (), was a Pakistani Pashtun, independence activist, and founder of the Khudai Khidmatgar ...

and Abdul Wali Khan, who always consulted Khan Amirzadah Khan in political as well as constitutional matters.

1970 general elections

In 1967, after the fall of Field Martial Muhammad Ayub Khan there was a long spell of Political Activism and popular agitation, culminating in general elections of 1970.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan Abdul Ghaffār Khān (; 6 February 1890 – 20 January 1988), also known as Bacha Khan () or Badshah Khan (), and honourably addressed as Fakhr-e-Afghan (), was a Pakistani Pashtun, independence activist, and founder of the Khudai Khidmatgar ...

, who at that time was in exile in Afghanistan, thought that the presence of Abdul Wali Khan, Khan Amirzadah Khan and Arbab Sikandar Khan Khalil is necessary in at least one of the Assemblies. Hence Abdul Ghaffar Khan conveyed his desire to the Party that these 3 leaders of National Awami Party (NAP) shall contest the elections for both National Assembly as well as the Provincial Assembly of the then Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was willingly accepted by the party Parliamentary Board and these three leaders contested for both National Assembly of Pakistan as well as Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Abdul Wali Khan and Khan Amirzadah Khan won both the assembly elections with overwhelming majority. Arbab Sikandar Khan Khalil won the Provincial Assembly seat. The

Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people. The adjective appears in the following proper names: *Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan *Awami Front, wa ...

, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, swept the elections in

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...

and overall, taking an overwhelming majority in combined Pakistan.

Pakistan Peoples Party The Pakistan People's Party ( ur, , ; PPP) is a centre-left, social-democratic political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third largest party in the National Assembly and second largest in the Senate of Pakistan. The party was founded ...

of

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourth ...

swept in Punjab and Sindh. In Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party got the majority, but Chief Martial Law Administrator and the Establishment, (which was dominated by West Pakistan Particularly, the Punjab) refused to hand over the power to the largest winning Party that was

Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people. The adjective appears in the following proper names: *Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan *Awami Front, wa ...

. The

Awami League In Urdu language, Awami is the adjectival form for '' Awam'', the Urdu language word for common people. The adjective appears in the following proper names: *Awami Colony, a neighbourhood of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan *Awami Front, wa ...

, which led to agitation in East Pakistan. The Establishment decided to crush this popular agitation and a brutal ARMY action was started that resulted in the separation of

East Pakistan East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...

which became an independent country (Bangladesh). Chief Martial Law Administrator

General Yahya Khan General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan , (Urdu: ; 4 February 1917 – 10 August 1980); commonly known as Yahya Khan, was a Pakistani military general who served as the third President of Pakistan and Chief Martial Law Administrator following his pr ...

quit the power in the remaining Pakistan and Mr.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourth ...

became the new Chief Martial Law Administrator (The First Civilian Chief Martial Law Administrator in history) and later became the President of Pakistan.

National Awami Party and Pakistan Peoples Party accord

Abdul Wali Khan's negotiations with

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and Politician, statesman who served as ...

led to the signing of an agreement with the government in 1972, called the Tripartite Agreement. The agreement led to the lifting of martial law and removal of the ban on the National Awami Party. This led to the formation of National Awami Party coalition provincial governments in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan. Despite the initial positive start, the agreement rapidly began to unravel due to the growing animosity between Abdul Wali Khan and

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourth ...

.

Pakistan Peoples Party The Pakistan People's Party ( ur, , ; PPP) is a centre-left, social-democratic political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third largest party in the National Assembly and second largest in the Senate of Pakistan. The party was founded ...

of Mr.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourth ...

was the largest party in Sindh and Punjab but had no Member Baluchistan and only one National Assembly & three provincial assembly members in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in these two provinces National Awami Party of Abdul Wali Khan was the major party. PPP and NAP considered it a necessity to work together and run the bifurcated remaining Pakistan in a democratic manner. There was a long period of parleys between the two parties, in which Khan Amirzadah Khan was the main negotiator from National Awami Party. Finally, an accord was reached with consensus. According to the accord the Governors and the Chief Ministers of

Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

and

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

was to be named by

Pakistan Peoples Party The Pakistan People's Party ( ur, , ; PPP) is a centre-left, social-democratic political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third largest party in the National Assembly and second largest in the Senate of Pakistan. The party was founded ...

as it was the largest party while the Governor of

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...

and

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...

to be the nominees of National Awami Party and the Chief Ministers of these Provinces were to be nominees of National Awami Party and Jamiat UL Islam of Molana Mufti Mehmood. Accordingly, the Federal and Provincial Governments were installed as per the negotiated formula. Khan Amirzadah Khan was nominated as Senior Minister with portfolios of Education, Law and Parliamentary Affairs. The System was running very well and quiet smoothly but unfortunately the nature of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was that he always wanted absolute authority and could not he could not tolerate the authority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan remains with others. In ten months, he sabotaged his own accord and dismissed the Governors of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The democratically elected government of Balochistan was dismissed. As a protest the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resigned en masse. March 1973, the leadership of National Awami Party and workers were arrested on various pretexts. Khan Amirzadah Khan started a long legal battle. He was released by the courts, but rearrested by the Bhutto government. Khan Amirzadah Khan was also arrested, along with other National Awami Party leaders and charged with the murder of Hayat Khan Sherpao.

Constitutional Committee

Pakistan ran under the remnant of Martial Law LFO (Legal Framework Order) without any proper constitution. It was obligatory on the Legislature to frame a new constitution for a country, so it appointed a 25-member Constitutional committee composed of all the political parties represented in the parliament according to their strength on 17 April 1972, to prepare a draft of the permanent Constitution of Pakistan. Khan Amirzadah Khan and Mir Ghous Bux Bizenjo were representing National Awami Party. This Constitutional Committee headed

Abdul Hafiz Pirzada Abdul Hafeez Pirzada ( ur, ; 24 February 1935 – 1 September 2015) was a Pakistani lawyer, legal theorist, and politician, who served variously as minister for information, minister for law, minister for finance, and minister for education ...

of

Pakistan Peoples Party The Pakistan People's Party ( ur, , ; PPP) is a centre-left, social-democratic political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third largest party in the National Assembly and second largest in the Senate of Pakistan. The party was founded ...

work day and night for many months and framed a draft constitution which was presented in the parliament on 14 August 1973 and adopted as the well known 1973 constitution. Khan Amirzadah Khan deliberated and delivered his famous speech of 5 hours and 35 minutes on this constitution (this speech is still holding the record of the longest extempore speech of the National Assembly). According to this constitution no person could hold membership of more than 1 Assembly at a time. Hence, Abdul Wali Khan resigned from the membership of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly and retained the seat of National Assembly of Pakistan. On the advice of the party leadership Khan Amirzadah Khan resigned from the National Assembly and retained the membership of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly seat. Where Khan Amirzadah Khan was elected as leader of the opposition which he retained till the end of the tenure of the assembly.

Ban on National Awami Party and birth of National Democratic Alliance

Abdul Wali Khan, was the leader of the combined opposition in the National Assembly of Pakistan. He and his other followers and leaders of National Awami Party were steadfast against the dictatorial and undemocratic regime of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto tried but failed to break or purchase the loyalties of the parliamentarian of National Awami Party. He in a fit of anger and revenge decided to order on 8 February 1975, a ban on the National Awami Party under the "Political Parties Act, 1962" of the constitution. All the National Awami Party leadership was put behind the bars. Khan Amirzadah Khan was also arrested but was released by court of law. On the instruction of the party high hierarchy Khan Amirzadah Khan along with

Nasim Wali Khan Nasim Wali Khan ( ur, نسيم ولی خان 1933 16 May 2021) was a female politician in Pakistan. Nasim Wali Khan was a leader of Awami National Party–Wali. Nasim Wali Khan was the former provincial president and parliamentary leader of th ...

started deliberations and finally persuaded a Baloch Nationalist leader Mr. Sherbaz Mazari and a new party with the name of National Democratic Alliance was launched. Mr. Sherbaz Khan Mazari was elected its central president and the members of the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies affiliated with National Awami Party join this new party.which was considered as a brain child of Khan Amirzadah Khan and a better substitute for the National Awami Party, (NAP)

1973 presidential election

In 1973, after the implementation of the new constitution, the elections for the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.Fazal Elahi Chaudhry while Amirzada Khan of National Awami Party was the unanimous candidate of all the combined opposition parties. Chaudhry received 139 votes against 45 of Khan's, and was thus elected President.

Assassination of Hayat Khan Sherpao

In 1974, after

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and Politician, statesman who served as ...

's close ally and governor of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Hayat Sherpao was killed in a bomb blast at Peshawar University.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourth ...

became convinced that Abdul Wali Khan, Amirzada Khan and the National Awami Party. On 8 February 1975, whilst addressing the students, Hayat Mohammed Khan Sherpao, senior minister of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and president of the provincial PPP, was blown up by a bomb and killed. Another Prime Minister Bhutto, Zulfikar that time, stopped doing what he was doing in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

that day, boarded the plane, flew back, and wept at Sherpao's grave. The very next day, on 9 February, the leaders of the opposition NAP in various parts of the country were arrested. These included Wali Khan, Arbab Sikander, Syed Muhammad Kaswar Gardezi, Mehroz Akhtar, Arbab Saifur Rahman, Major General Jilani (Jil of Narowal), Khan Amirzadah Khan, Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Mohammed Adil, Rukhnuddin Kazmi, Hassan Hameedi, Rehmatullah Khan Rohaila, Abdul Khaliq Khan (Roedads brother, the best of the lot). They were held under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance and various other false charges. Barrister Azizullah Shaikh, chief of the National Awami Party in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

, who was in

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

, managed to remain out of reach. His home, with his wife and three small daughters, was surrounded by agency men, it was pelted with stones, and the children terrorised. Friend moved Sardar Sherbaz Mazari in with his own armed bodyguards and stayed overnight to protect Azizullahs family. On 10 February, the government of Pakistan dissolved the National Awami Party and forfeited all the properties and funds of the Party. The action, according to Gazette of Pakistan notifications, has been taken under Sub-section 1 of Section VI of the Political Parties Act of 1962. The notifications said that the government was satisfied that the National Awami Party was operating in a manner prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan and it had, therefore, formally declared the National Awami Party to be operating in such a manner. Following the government order, all the offices of the Party throughout the country have been sealed. (''

Dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's horizo ...

'' 11 February 1975). The movement of scores of other office-bearers of the NAP in various centres of the country were restricted under the dreaded MPO. On the same day government agents raided and ransacked the offices of Asghar Khan's Newspaper Daily Tehrik-i-Istiqlal and of the Jamaat. The office of the defunct daily newspaper Shahbaz was set afire. On 14 February, the champion of liberty, Minister for Provincial Co- ordination Hafiz Pirzada declared that the administrative action taken by the government in dissolving the National Awami Party was not arbitrary or out of rancour and acrimony it was strictly in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution. I now quote from Bhuttos biographer, Stanley Wolpert, the first man allowed access to the archives of the great leader at 70 Clifton. He had no doubt, moreover, as to the identity of the murderers, though no party or individual would ever claim credit for killing Sherpao. Zulfi felt as certain that Abdul Wali Khan was the man responsible for Hayat Khan Sherpao's death as Ahmed Raza was certain about who killed his father. Imran may have read his Wisden, but there is no single book that will teach him about how politics works in Pakistan. The best he can do is to read the three books written by that erudite affable resident of Pakistan, Herbert Feldman, dealing with three different periods in the country's history, culminating in the happenings of 1971 when our inept politicians lost for us half our country. To gain insight into some of the doings of the first of the PPP governments, he could also read the editorials written by Iqbal Burney for his Outlook magazine, a publication that was eventually banned by Bhutto. The White Papers, published by Zia on the various performances of the Bhutto regime, will also enlighten him as to the workings of the mind of the third of the PPP governments.

Government charges and rebuttal

The National Awami Party the government used extensive means to validate the charges leveled against National Awami Party, while no proof was ever shown of the Party or its leaders role in the murder of Hayat Khan Sherpao, a strong state run media smear campaign was launched which attributed any argument for the acquittal or release of the National Awami Party leaders as anti-Pakistani. In addition, Prime Minister Bhutto warned the judges that the "responsibility of the consequence will be of the Supreme Court" should they reject his reference against NAP.

Arrest and Hyderabad High Treason and Conspiracy Tribunal

The Hyderabad Tribunal (1975–1979), also known as Hyderabad conspiracy case, is the name of a former judicial tribunal used in

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

to prosecute opposition politicians of the National Awami Party on the charges of treason and acting against the ideology of Pakistan. When Zulfikar Ali Bhutto failed absolutely to break the leadership of National Awami Party. All the prominent leaders of this party were arrested in a fake case of High treason and conspiracy to break Pakistan. A total of 52 people were arrested. Those arrested from the National Awami Party leadership included Abdul Wali Khan, Khan Amirzadah Khan,

Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo Ghaus Bakhsh Bizenjo (Urdu/ Baloch: میرغوث بخش بزنجو ) was a Pakistani politician from Balochistan. He served as the 3rd Governor of Balochistan. Early life He was born in Nall Khuzdar Balochistan in either December 1917 or 191 ...

, Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, Syed Muhammad Kaswar Gardezi, Mir Gul Khan Nasir,

Sardar Ataullah Mengal Ataullah Mengal (; 24 March 1929 – 2 September 2021) was a Pakistani politician and feudal figure. He was the head of the Mengal tribe until he nominated one of his grandsons, Sardar Asad Ullah Mengal, as his tribal successor. He was also the ...

,

Habib Jalib Habib Jalib (24 March 1928 - 12 March 1993; Urdu, Punjabi: ) was a Pakistani revolutionary poet, left-wing activist who opposed martial law, authoritarianism and state oppression. Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz said that he was the poet of ...

, Barrister Azizullah Shaikh, Aslam She-sani(Aslam Baluch), Aslam Kurd, Saleem Kurd,

Sher Mohammad Marri Sher Mohammad Marri ( bal, میر شير محمد مری) was the chief of the Marri Baloch tribe in Pakistan, and an early leader in the Parrari movement which would lead to the formation of the Baloch Liberation Army, a militant nationalist gro ...

Karnel Sultan Mengal and several other patriots. In addition, several members of the Muslim League and even prominent critics of Bhutto within his own

Pakistan Peoples Party The Pakistan People's Party ( ur, , ; PPP) is a centre-left, social-democratic political party in Pakistan. It is currently the third largest party in the National Assembly and second largest in the Senate of Pakistan. The party was founded ...

were also arrested. The Peshawar University, to that fateful Saturday, 8 February 1975. Whilst addressing the students, Hayat Mohammed Khan Sherpao, senior minister of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and president of the provincial PPP, was blown up by a bomb and killed. Another Prime Minister Bhutto, Zulfikar that time, stopped doing what he was doing in New York that day, boarded the plane, flew back, and wept at Sherpaos grave. The very next day, on 9 February, the leaders of the opposition National Awami Party in various parts of the country were arrested. These included Abdul Wali Khan, Arbab Sikandar Khan Khalil, Syed Muhammad Kaswar Gardezi, Mehroz Akhtar, Arbab Saifur Rahman, Major General Jilani (Jil of Narowal), Khan Amirzada Khan, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour,

Mohammad Adil Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monothe ...

, Rukhnuddin Kazmi, Hassan Hameedi, Rehmatullah Khan Rohaila, Abdul Khaliq Khan (Roedads brother, the best of the lot). They were held under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance and various other false charges. Barrister Azizullah Shaikh, chief of the National Awami Party in Karachi, who was in Hyderabad, managed to remain out of reach. His home, with his wife and three small daughters, was surrounded by agency men, it was pelted with stones, and the children terrorised. Friend Sardar Sherbaz Mazari moved in with his own armed bodyguards and stayed overnight to protect Azizullahs family. On 10 February, the government of Pakistan dissolved the National Awami Party and forfeited all the properties and funds of the Party. The action, according to Gazette of Pakistan notifications, has been taken under Sub-section 1 of Section VI of the Political Parties Act of 1962. The notifications said that the government was satisfied that the National Awami Party was operating in a manner prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

and it had, therefore, formally declared the National Awami Party to be operating in such a manner. Following the government order, all the offices of the Party throughout the country have been sealed. The movement of scores of other office-bearers of the National Awami Party in various centres of the country were restricted under the dreaded MPO. On the same day government agents raided and ransacked the offices of Asghar Khans Tehrik-i-Istiqlal and of the Jamaat. The office of the defunct daily newspaper Shahbaz was set afire. On 14 February, the champion of liberty, Minister for Provincial co-ordination

Abdul Hafiz Pirzada Abdul Hafeez Pirzada ( ur, ; 24 February 1935 – 1 September 2015) was a Pakistani lawyer, legal theorist, and politician, who served variously as minister for information, minister for law, minister for finance, and minister for education ...

declared that the administrative action taken by the government in dissolving the National Awami Party was not arbitrary or out of rancour and acrimony it was strictly in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution. I now quote from Bhuttos biographer, Stanley Wolpert, the first man allowed access to the archives of the great leader at 70 Clifton. He had no doubt, moreover, as to the identity of the murderers, though no party or individual would ever claim credit for killing Sherpao. Zulfi felt as certain that Abdul Wali Khan was the man responsible for Sherpao's death as Ahmed Raza was certain about who killed his father. A special tribunal was set up on the orders of Pakistani Prime Minister

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourth ...

in Central Jail of Hyderabad (Sindh).The National Awami Party, which the government banned on 10 February 1975. Khan Amirzadah Khan in spite of enduring the hardships of the prison was advocating the case of National Awami Party's leadership. In this Tribunal due to his very hard work and struggles his health deteriorated he developed '

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

' and later hard multiple heart attacks in the prison and was finally bailed out on medical grounds for better medical treatment.

1977 general elections

When 1977 general elections were announced, the party asked Khan Amirzadah Khan to contest the elections. He, in spite of poor health, contested them for the

Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a unicameral legislature of elected representatives of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is located in Peshawar, the provincial capital. It was established under Article 106 of t ...

. Claims of widespread rigging by

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar (or Zulfiqar) Ali Bhutto ( ur, , sd, ذوالفقار علي ڀٽو; 5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979), also known as Quaid-e-Awam ("the People's Leader"), was a Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the fourth ...

in the elections for the

National Assembly of Pakistan The National Assembly ( ur, , translit=Aiwān-e-Zairīñ, , or ur, قومی اسمبلی, Romanization, romanized: ''Qaumi Assembly'') is the lower house, lower legislative house of the bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Pakistan, which al ...

eventually surfaced. In protest, the combined opposition decided to boycott the elections for Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to be held three days later. The opposition parties banded together to form

Pakistan National Alliance The Pakistan National Alliance (Urdu: پاکستان قومی اتحاد, Acronym: PNA), was a populist and consolidated right-wing political alliance, consisting of nine political parties of the country. Formed in 1977, the country's leading ...

, and the countrywide spontaneous agitation erupted soon afterwards.

Legal justification

The 3rd amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was passed which gave wide legal scope to the state to define anti-state activities. ;Amendment of Article 10 of the Constitution. In the Constitution of the

Islamic Republic of Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

, hereinafter referred to as the Constitution, in Article 10,— In clause (7), in the proviso, after the word "enemy", the commas and words ", or who is acting or attempting to act in a manner prejudicial to the integrity, security of defense of Pakistan or any part thereof or who commits or attempt to commit any act which amounts to an anti-national activity as defined in a Federal Law or is a member of any association which has for its object, or which indulges him, any such anti-national activity" shall be added.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Khan Amirzadah Political history of Pakistan Political repression in Pakistan Government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Awami National Party politicians People from Mardan District Pashtun people Pakistani prisoners and detainees