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The Qissa Khwani Massacre:

During our academic years most of us have studied about Jallianwala Bagh’s massacre but one such incident took place in our own hometown Peshawar which is not even mentioned in history books. It is the Qissa Khwani Massacre. On 23 rd of April,1930 the people of Peshawar city held a protest against the British Raj for arresting their beloved leader Bacha Khan. The protest was nonviolent in nature but it infuriated the British government. The Army was called to scatter away the people but they refused to disperse away. The British Army opened fire at them killing many people.Some protestors were also crushed under the vehicles of the British army. The people of Peshawar witnessed how the state’s army killed the people of their very own land. The surprising factor was the refusal of some soldiers to fire. This included the Garhwali Regiment’s refusal to fire upon the protestors which further vindicates the fact that the protestors were unarmed and were nonviolent as preached by t...
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Leading the red shirts of Peshawar: A page from the life of Jirnaal Ghulam Haider Kha

My Great Grand Father: Remembering his struggle against the British Raj and his memories of Mahatma Gandhi and Bacha Khan. Ghulam Haider Khan was born in a Hindko Speaking Siddiqui family of Peshawar. He joined Khudai Khitmatgaars tehreek whose leader was Bacha Khan. He was highly impressed from Bacha Khan’s movement of nonviolence against the British Raj. On return from a visit to Calcutta when a fellow comrade of his asked him how was his meeting with Gandhi. He replied, “ The meeting was very positive and when he helped Gandhi ji to get out of his car, Gandhi ji smiled and said he loves Islam”. Jirnaal Ghulam Haider Khan had close terms with Shahrukh Khan’s father and Uncle Gaama. They were staunch supporters of Mahatma Gandhi and Bacha Khan too. Haji Adeel’s (ANP)(1944-2016) father Hakim Abdul Jalil (Khudai Khitmatgars) also used to visit Ghulam Haider Khan. Gaama made a small political party of his own Anjuman e Ghurba. He used to hold strong rallies against British Rule. Ji...
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Remembering Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto: The People’s Leader

My story of knowing Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is not an ordinary story. He was the first man I came to know during the elections of 2008. My Grandfather who passed away this month was the main reason behind the fact that I have known Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto for so long.   I was just 9 when I first time read about him in a book “Ayub,Bhutto and Zia. How they fell victim to their own plans”.   There is no doubt that he was extremely charismatic when I heard his speeches that he made in the past. My quest for reading the politics of South Asia began with Bhutto and Jinnah. If the people of Pakistan had to name one man who has ruled the political arena   of Pakistan during 1970’s he is none other then   Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.   Also known as Zulfi among his friends. His life is of a hero. Born on 5 th of January 1928   in Al-Murtaza ,Larkana to Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto and Khursheed Begum.   Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was educated at the finest   aceademic institutio...
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Poetry 2:

Tere aanay se meri zindagi khush gawaar hui....  Ye jaaray ka mausam dekh aur meri bahar hui. 
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Poetry 1:

Mujhe waqtan fawaqtan har baat ka andaza zaroor tha... Tu mujh se door na hogy yahi mera ghuroor tha.
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Mir Murtaza: The forgotten BHUTTO

I belong to a family whose elders have supported Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in the early 1970’s. My grand father and father both admired Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. It will be a little less to say that my father was an admirer of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. He was a Bhutto Enthusiast. Later on, when Benazir Bhutto came into politics all of my aunts liked her and supported her. Mostly Hindko speaking Peshawri s were supporters of the Bhutto Family. My introduction to   Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is not an ordinary story. During the elections of 2008 many old friends of my father who were part of PPP’s Student union in late 1970’s and early 1980’s use to come to our home and listen to speeches of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, their eyes would shine. I simply asked my grandfather who is Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto? He told me all the details   about him. I suddenly asked him where are his sons? He said both his sons have passed away. Murtaza Bhutto was the elder son where as Shah Nawaz Bhutto was his yo...
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Wasim Raja: The lost gem!

Sitting in TV lounge discussing cricketing greats with my cousins and maternal uncles.   Once my maternal uncle   said that before Shahid Afridi there was a man who was as fearless as he is right now. He was the elder brother of Ramiz, Wasim Raja. This fascinated me a lot. I thought, once cricket that was known to be popular for test matches, where games were not really fast, there was a cricketer who was   popular for being a stroke player. Now as a curious young boy I started searching about him. Raja belonged to an upper middle class family. His father was a civil servant. His facial appearance was very different as compared to the other Pakistani players of that time. An intense looking man with a heavy beard, educated at the government college Lahore. Another factor that came forward was that he was not an easy going man. Wasim Raja was an introvert and moody. In a fundraiser that was held for Shaukat Khanum memorial hospital , when Imran was asked that who...
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