ANP starts week-long events to pay tributes to its two leaders

Starting a week-long series of events to mark the death anniversaries of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (popularly known as Bacha Khan) and Wali Khan, the Awami National Party’s (ANP) Sindh leaders said in a condolence gathering on Monday that both leaders had always fought for the rights of Pashtuns, political autonomy and peace in the region.

ANP Sindh chief Shahi Syed said that the entire Pashtun community takes pride in their leaders Bacha Khan and Wali Khan. He said that the Bacha Khan-led followers fought and won the war against British imperialism without guns or swords. “Today everyone remembers his policy of non-violence.”

The condolence gathering was organised at the Bacha Khan Markaz by the ANP’s student wing, namely the Pashtun Students Federation. Other speakers said the party’s workers will lay their lives to carry on the mission of Bacha Khan and Wali Khan.

They said Bacha Khan had remained in jail for 38 years, as the rulers of the time had not wanted Pashtuns to be educated. Monday’s event was the first programme in the series of events planned to be held in Karachi in connection with the two leaders’ death anniversaries. In a provincial meeting held the previous evening, the ANP leadership planned week-long activities to mark the death anniversaries of Bacha Khan and Wali Khan. Most of the events will be organised at the Bacha Khan Markaz, the party’s provincial headquarters in the Peerabad neighbourhood.

According to the ANP’s plan, the party’s cultural wing will hold a poetry session on Tuesday (today) at the Bacha Khan Markaz, where poets and literary figures will pay homage to Bacha Khan and Wali Khan through their works. On Wednesday and Thursday, the West and South district chapters of the party will hold workers conventions respectively to pay tribute to the two leaders.

The ANP’s National Youth Organisation will organise a gathering on Friday at the Bacha Khan Markaz while on Saturday, a gathering will be held by the party. On Sunday the party will hold a province-wide workers convention at the Bacha Khan Markaz.