Babrra massacre

The Babrra massacre occurred in 1948 in the Charsadda District of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, when unarmed workers of the Khudai Khidmatgar movements were fired upon by the provincial government [ [http://dawn.com/2008/text/op.htm#2 Miscreants and militants] DAWN. Retrieved September 15 2008] on the orders of the then Chief Minister Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan.Pakistan: History and Politics, 1947-1971 (1 April 2002)by M.Rafique Afzal p38 OUP Pakistan ISBN-10: 0195796349]

Bacha Khan's speech on the issue

"Six years ago, I announced on the floor of this House that Pakistan is our country and its solidarity and protection is our duty and that any program that will be submitted by any party for its progress and its reconstruction shall have my fullest cooperation. I repeat those words of mine even today. But still there are some persons who suspect my loyalty. I therefore think that it would be advisable to set up a tribunal to enquire not only into the question of loyalty or treason but also into the general massacre, arson and loot and the dishonouring of women and children and old men at Charsadda and the oppressive treatment meted out to us in jail." "Badshah Khan, Budget session of Assembly on March 20, 1954."

In September 1948, Chief Minister Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan gave a statement in the provincial assembly, "I had imposed section 144 at Babra. When the people did not disperse, then firing was opened on them. They were lucky that the police had finished ammunition; otherwise not a single soul would have been left alive". Khan Qayyum said hinting at the four members of the opposition in the provincial assembly. He said; "If they were killed, the government would not care about them."

References

Further reading

* Gandhi, Rajmohan (2004) Ghaffar Khan: Nonviolent Badshah of the Pakhtuns, Penguin Books India, New Delhi.

* Khan, Khan Abdul Ghaffar (1969), My Life and Struggle, hind Pocket Books, Delhi.