Mufti Muhammad Karim Akhtar Orakzai
Anniversary of famous Pashtun freedom fighter Mirza Ali Khan Faqir of Ipi was observed on April 16.
Mirza Ali Khan was born in Karta village in Ipi area of Waziristan in 1892. Initially, he studied with leading religious scholars of the area including Moulvi Khuedad Khan, Moulvi Alam Khan, Moulvi Manay Jan and others and became a prayer leader at an area’s mosque.
However, his spiritual curiosity first took him to religious centers of Karbogha, Tirah, Swat and finally culminating his travel to Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar. At Jalalabad, he took oath of fealty at the hand of prominent religious personality of his time Pir Syed Hassan Al Gillani popularly known as Naqeeb Shah Jalabadi.
His spiritual mentor was very impressed with Mirza Ali Khan’s piety and appointed him as his deputy. When Mirza Ali Khan returned to his village after his sojourn in Jalalabad, the spiritual side of his personality greatly influenced the people of the area and a large number of Bhittani, Wazir and Dawar tribesmen turned into his followers.
However, it was his act of challenging the British raj in 1936, which led to skyrocketing of his fame in the area. Large number of freedom fighters from far and wide were drawn towards him and assembled under his flag to his struggle against British imperialism. British forces suffered heavy losses during their fights with the freedom fighters of the Faqir of Ipi. The British government deployed 54,000 troops to fight the Faqir of Ipi and his freedom fighters. Besides Royal Indian Air Force dropped 7808 bombs on Waziristan from February to August 1937 and majority of dropped bombs were 20 pounders.
However, Faqir of Ipi declared war on the nascent state of Pakistan after the British left. He was of the view that the white Englishmen have left brown Englishmen behind in Pakistan and tribal people should fight them.
On June 15, 1948 Faqir of Ipi, constituted a lashakr of 800 people to fight Pakistan and started an armed struggle and they stormed Thall fort. The marauding fighters were dispersed by a hail of mortar fire from the fort while 50 people were killed in bombing of the Pakistan Air Force.
On January 19, 1950, he called a Loya Jirga of Mehsud and Wazir elders and religious clerics and announced the setting up of Pashtunistan after detailed deliberations. Red flags of Pashtunistan were hoisted all over the tribal areas following the announcement; however, Pakistani fighter jets targeted all those hoisting these flags.
Faqir of Ipi died on April 16, 1960 without committing a truce with the government of Pakistan. May he rest in eternal peace
