CHARSADDA/BAJaur/LOWER DIR: Awami National Party provincial president Aimal Wali Khan said on Thursday that his party would reopen the Babara case after coming into power.

Talking to journalists after offering prayers and laying floral wreath on the graves of the people killed in Babara to mark the anniversary of the incident, he said that on Aug 12, 1948, a peaceful rally of Khudai Khidmatgar was protesting the unconstitutional dissolution of the government of Dr Khan Sahib when indiscriminate firing was opened on them.

He said that scores of innocent Pakhtun protesters were killed in the firing.

He said that the leaders of their party were put behind the bar and their properties were confiscated.

He alleged that the detained leaders and workers were tortured in jails.

The ANP leader said that after coming into power, his party would reopen the Babara case. He alleged that since the happening of Babara, Takkar and Qissa Khwani incidents, the killing of ANP leaders like Obaidullah Kansi and Asad Khan Achakzai still continued.

Events held in different districts to pay tribute to victims of 1948 massacre

He said that their workers were asking as to who were behind those brutal killings.

ANP district president MPA Shakeel Bashir Khan Umarzai, general secretary Farooq Khan, provincial leaders Haji Mirza Ihsanullah Khan, district spokesman Fazal Amin Pakhtunyar and other office-bearers were also present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, ANP central vice president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has said that government has pushed the people in the abyss of poverty, price hike and unemployment.

Addressing PK-59 constituency’s organisational meeting, he said that government pushed the Pakhtuns into turmoil and price hike just for what he called a ‘failed’ BRT project.

He alleged the government got Rs14 billion loan in just three years of its tenure.

In Bajaur, the local chapter of ANP held a ceremony in Khar to commemorate the Babara massacre and pledged to remember the sacrifices of the victims.

The ANP workers, activists of Pakhtun Students Federation, members of Malgari Leekwalaan and writers attended the ceremony.

ANP district general secretary Nisar Baz Khan, deputy district chief Awal Khan, former district chief Attaullah Khan, Bajaur Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Haji Lali Shah and others addressed the gathering and shed light on different aspects of the incident.

They said that hundreds of innocent followers of Bacha Khan were killed in Babara.

They paid glowing tribute to the victims and said that their sacrifices for the restoration of peace and promotion of non-violence philosophy would be remembered.

In Lower Dir, ANP central vice president Hussain Shah Yousafzai said that his party still adhered to the philosophy of non-violence of Bacha Khan.

Addressing a party function in Chakdara, he said that August 12 was the darkest day in the history of Pakhtuns.

He said that sacrifices of the Babara martyrs would always be remembered.

ANP leaders Advocate Allah Dad, Obaidur Rehman, Wasil Khan and others also addressed the gathering.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2021