Prince Karim Khan
Prince Agha Abdul Karim Khan Ahmedzai was the younger brother of the Khan of Kalat, Mir Ahmedyar Khan, who was the last ruler of independent Baluchistan. After the British left Baluchistan on 13 August 1947, the Khan of Kalat declared independence on the 15th August 1947 (one day after the formation of Pakistan). Baluchistan was independent for six months and then it was forcibly annexed by Pakistan when the Khan of Kalat was coerced under threats of separation of Makran from Kalat and military action, to sign the annexation papers (See "In the Shadow of Afghanistan" by Selig S. Harrison, 1981, Published by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, New York, USA.)
On the May 16, 1948 Prince Agha Abdul Karim Khan Ahmadzai bravely revolted against huge odds and led a nationalist uprising against the Pakistan government and for the independence of Baluchistan. He led a small force of Kalat State army, armed tribesman, intellectuals, politicians and his key associates to Sarlath on the Afghanistan border and started sending out messengers to Baluch tribes and sardars, Afghan sardars in Kandahar and the Afghan government in Kabul. He started spending Kalat State treasury in his possession to buy arms and attempted to organise his force. He based his force close to the Afghan border in the hope of military assistance from Afghanistan since the Baluch state had long historical relationships with the Afghans.
The Prince invited the leading members of Baluch nationalist political parties—the Kalat State National Party, the Baluch League, and the Baluch National Workers Party — to join him in the struggle for the creation of an independent and socialist Baluchistan. Apart from his political aspirations, the Agha Abdul Karim was younger,braver and much more nationalistic and willing to struggle then his elder brother the Khan of Kalat. His struggle was nationalistic and leftist as indicated by the flag which was red with three golden stars, each representing the three parts of Balochistan, namely those in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.
Origins and allies of the movement
As stated earlier, Prince Karim decided to move closer to Afghan border with the hope of getting assistance from Afghanistan due to long historical ties with the Afghans. His aim was independence, Baluchistan was an independent princely state under the British with bilateral treaties with the British crown. Baluchistan was not part of India and hence, there was no requirement for Baluchistan to be part of British India that was partitioned into the states of India and Pakistan. The Baluch had long aspirations of independence and has struggled including military struggle against the British. Prince Karim had leftist revolutionary tendencies and was influenced by Marxism-Leninism.
Some of the prominent political leaders and intellectuals who had joined Agha Abdul Karim were Mohammed Hussein Anka (the secretary of the Baluch League and the editor of Weekly Bolan Mastung), Malik Saeed Dehwar (the secretary of the Kalat State National Party), Kadir Bux Nizamani (a member of the Baluch League and former general secretary of the Sindh-Baluchistan Communist Party), Maulwi Mohd Afzal (a member of Jamiat-Ulm-e-Balochistan) and several prominent members of the Sind-Balochistan branch of the Communist Party. The attached picture here shows the key leaders of the rebellion, from left to right standing are Kadir Bux Nizamani, Malik Saeed Dehwar, Abdul Wahid Kurd and seated from left to right are Muhammed Hussain Anka, Agha Abdul Karim Ahmedzai and Mir Ahamed Khan Ahmedzai.
Plan of action
The Agha Abdul Karim took several actions and followed an active policy to achieve his goal which was to keep the Baluch state of Kalat as an independent state. His mission was independence and the creation of a socialist republic of Baluchistan as shown by the actions he took, in this he differed greatly from his older brother who was more interested in protecting his status and dynasty and continuing the status quo.
Nizamani's contemporary notes show that Agha Abdul Karim was determined to fight to create an independent and socialist Baluchistan (see Photo 2 showing Nizamani's notes). Nizamani writes that Agha Abdul Karim spend funds buying arms, training fighters, sending emissaries to Afghanistan and Iran, studying texts of the works of Marx and Lenin. He was inspired by the Russian Revolution and wanted freedom and emancipation for the Baluch people. Nizamani writes that Khan of Kalat sent the maternal uncle Ibrahim Khan and Maulvi Taj Muhammed to see Agha Abdul Karim and persuade him to surrender and return to Kalat but Agha Abdul Karim refused to do so.
Agha Abdul Karim sent messages to Mir Ghulam Faruq of the Rudini tribe, Sardar Mehrab Khan, Sardar Mir Jumma and Mir Wazir Khan Sanjrani of Chagai, and several other chiefs. Appealing to Baloch tribes to support the uprising and sending representations to Afghanistan for assistance due to historical ties with the Afghans.
Armed struggle
The Agha Abdul Karim Khan issued an appeal to individuals to help with the recruitment. The revolt had been spontaneous and lacked organisation, it was based on a strong feeling and passion for an independent Baluchistan. Nizamani in contemporary records states that he tried to help Agha to organise a command structure on the force and instill order, procedures and tactics of a revolutionary army.
Soviets and Afghans
Agha Abdul Karim appointed Malik Saeed Dehwar and Kadir Bux Nizamani as his emissaries to contact the Afghan government and approach other embassies in order to get moral and material support. According to Nizamani, the Afghan authorities listened with sympathy but declined to provide military help. The Afghan authorities also declined to permit the rebel group to operate from Afghan soil. Nizamani informed the Iranian Embassy of the Baloch uprising as well. Iranian diplomats showed their concern but did not offer any assistance, though they were willing to provide asylum to the rebel group in Iran. The last hope of the Prince's representatives was the Soviet Embassy. The Soviet diplomats listened carefully to Nizamani who spoke fluent Russian. Though they did not give any assurances, they did promise to inform Moscow.
The Government of Pakistan moved the army to the military posts of Punjab, Chaman Chashme, and Rastri near the Afghan border, attempting to control the rebels' rations which were being sent by Baloch nationalist elements, and to control their activities or stop any attempt at invasion. The Pakistani authorities confirmed two clashes between the army and the rebels. Following these clashes between a well organised and modern army and a spontaneously raised Baloch tribal force, Agha Abdul Karim's force was surrounded and defeated and Agha Abdul Karim was captured. In his contemporary records, Nizamani states that on their return when the crossed the border from Afghanistan into Baluchistan (Pakistan), they found out that Agha had been captured.
The Prince and the separatist movement failed to achieve wide internal and any external support. Moreover, the Baluch nationalists were divided into two groups. Agha, Anqa, Nizamani and Malik Saeed favoured armed struggle in the form of guerilla war, while Mir Ghous Bux Bizenjo and the Khan of Kalat himself wished to resolve all issues by negotiation within Pakistan, bearing in mind that prior to these events the fully paid and employed legal council general of the Khan of Kalat was Mr Jinnah himself (the founder of Pakistan). Also, Baluchistan was ill prepared for an uprising, communications were weak and many were unaware of the uprising. Further, the Baluch lacked modern military organisation and weapons. Many in the Baluch force were armed with 19th century muzzle loading rifles.
Return and capture
After his capture, the Prince was forced to return to Kalat and negotiate for his demands. On July 8, 1948, when the news of the Prince's arrival reached Kalat, the Prime Minister and a Kalat State Force went to meet the Prince at Earboi to deliver the Khan's message. Thereafter, the Prince Karim and his followers were arrested and imprisoned in the Machh and Quetta jails. In total, the Prince Agha Abdul Karim Khan spent 25 years in Pakistani prisons. His first term was 10 years and on his release, he was rearrested on new charges and jailed for 10 years again.
A detailed and interesting statement comes from General Akbar Khan, in his article published in the daily Dawn, dated August 14, 1960, under the title "Early reminiscences of a soldier." In this article, General Akbar confirms that there was a plan to invade the Khanate and describes the clash between the Pakistani army and the separatist force headed by Prince Karim. Akbar claims that Jinnah had issued instructions that this news should not be published in the Pakistani press.
Trial and sentencing
After the arrest of the Prince and his party, the Attorney Governor General gave an order for an inquiry, to be conducted by Khan Sahib Abdullah Khan, the Additional District Magistrate of Quetta. He submitted his report on September 12, 1948. His report was based on the Prince's activities and upon the letters and documents published by the Baluch force. After the inquiry, R. K. Saker, the District Magistrate of Quetta, appointed a special Jirga (official council of elders) consisting of the following persons:
1. Khan Bahadur Malik Sahibzada Muhammad Ayub Khan Isakhel, Pashtoon from Pishin; 2. K.B. Baz Mohd Khan. Jogezai, Pashtoon from Loralai; 3. Abdul Ghaffar Khan Achakzai, Pashtoon from Pishin; 4. S.B. Wadera Noor Muhammad Khan, a Baloch Chief from Kalat; 5. Syed Aurang Shah from Kalat; 6. Sheikh Baz Gul Khan Mandokhail. Pashtoon from Zhob; 7. Wahab Khan Panezai, Pashtoon from Sibi; 8. Sardar Doda Khan Marri, Baloch from Sibi.
This Jirga was instructed to study the circumstances and events which led to the revolt and was asked to give its recommendations to the District Magistrate. On November 10, 1948, the Jirga heard the testimony of the accused and gave its recommendations to the D.M. on November 17, 1948, suggesting the delivery of the Prince to Loralai at the pleasure of the Government of Pakistan and various other penalties. The D.M., in his order dated November 27, 1948, differed with the opinion of the Jirga and sentenced the Prince to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of 5000 rupees. Other members of his party were given various sentences and fines. It is noteworthy, that after his 10 years in prison, on his release, the Pakistan government laid fresh charges on the Prince and he was jailed for another 10 years. In total, he ended up spending nearly 25 years in prison.
The rebellion of the Prince and his subsequent years in prison, created an inspirational legacy. Popularly known as the first rebellion post-partition of India. The Prince and his comrades like Muhammed Hussain Anka spent many years together in Mach Jail in North West Frontier Province in Pakistan from where Anka regularly wrote letters to Baluch nationalists, shown here is one of his letters written to Nizamani in 1953, the text of this and other letters shows that the imprisoned Prince and his comrades remained greatly motivated and committed to the cause of Baluch independence (see Photo 2 Letter Anka). The Prince Agha Abdul Karim retains the admiration and affection of the Baluch people, the attached photo shows an elderly Prince Karim before in 1972. To the end, he was committed to Baluch independence and emancipation of the Baluch people. This beloved Baluch leader died in 1973 and was [[
]]
buried in his ancestral cemetery in Kalat, Baluchistan.