Islamabad : ‘My Life and Times’ is the English translation of the autobiography of great freedom fighter, writer, linguist and journalist Khan Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai commonly known is Khan Shaheed. Khan Shaheed spent every third day of his life in prison so the memoirs are also penned down during his incarceration in different jails of the sub-continent with the help of his strong memory without taking any help from books and other written material.
Translated into English by Mohammad Khan Achakzai, Khan Shaheed’s son and former governor of Balochistan, and edited by senior journalist Rashid Khattak, the book presents not only an account of the personal life of Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai but also a clear picture of the untold political and social history of the time he lived in.
Being a towering figure and founder of the first-ever political party in Balochistan, Khan Shaheed has discussed in his autobiography every aspect of the society without caring for taboos and restrictions be it the cruel tradition of usury by traders, religious ignorance of common people, political immaturity of Pakhtuns at that time, the forbidden practice of pederasty among some circles. He has discussed all the social evils in details along with pinpointing their solutions.
He doesn’t hesitate to recall the shortcomings of his colleagues, friends, relatives, nation and even himself. On the other hand, he acknowledges with open heart the qualities and merits of his rivals and even enemies. Instead of pushing an issue under the carpet, this bold politician and writer has touched upon some sensitive subjects 60 years ago, which even today are difficult to talk about openly.
However, politics and struggle for freedom from the yoke of foreign imperialists are the main topics of the book. But his explanatory style, otherwise a useful and beneficial type of writing, has become a hurdle to completion of the book. The habit of the writer to discuss and explain every minute detail of an issue or event has not allowed him to document the accounts of his life and his struggle for enforcement of true democracy in the country after partition of India and creation of Pakistan.
The important events of his life after partition, mostly formation of new political parties, his imprisonments in different jails and his trials in various courts of the country, are included in the last chapter of the book by the translator and editor with the help of other researchers.
Being the pioneer of journalism in Balochistan, the book also relates his difficulties and sufferings for launching a newspaper from Quetta. He has also discussed in great detail the issues of running a successful newspaper, finding journalists and imparting training to beginners. Although the autobiography of Khan Shaheed is not a book of pure history, yet it is an amalgamation of history, social sciences, linguistic, self-teaching, religious beliefs and story of struggle for reformation of society and getting rights for downtrodden.