Afrasiab Khattak
Encyclopedia
Afrasiab Khattak or Afrasayab Khattak ( ) is a politician from Kohat
, North-West Frontier Province
, Pakistan
. He is currently a member of the Senate, the upper house of the Parliament of Pakistan and the provincial president of the Awami National Party
in North-West Frontier Province
.
Afrasiab Khattak is a former student leader, Pakistani politician, writer and prominent human rights activist. He has been the president of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
(HRCP).
Afrasiab Khattak is from Kohat
in NWFP. He was an active leftist politician during the 1970s and 1980s. He spent many years in self-exile in Afghanistan
in the 1980s, due to his strong opposition to General Zia-ul-Haq's military rule.
After his return from Afghanistan
, Khattak contested the general elections from Karak in 1990 but lost to Aslam Khattak.
Afrasiab Khattak lived in self-exile in Kabul from August 1980 to January 1989. He never had any formal responsibility in Afghanistan and lived there along with other Pakistani opposition politicians like Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s sons, Ajmal Khattak, Khair Bakhsh Marri, and thousands of Baloch dissidents. Afrasiab had a very close personal relationship with Dr. Najibullah dating back to early 1980s. When Dr. Najeeb was brutally murdered by hidden hands in his connivance in September 1996, Afrasaib along with other progressive and nationalist politicians, foxily organized protest demonstrations in Peshawar for three days.
In 1990 Khattak formed the Quami Inquilabi Party (National Revolutionary Party) , a Marxist party, after parting ways with the ANP of Abdul Wali Khan in 1989, he subsequently merged his group to form the Pakhtunkhwa Qaumi Party along with AbdulLatif Afridi
and Afzal Khan Lala
.
(HRCP) in 1989, and served as the Vice Chairman of HRCP in Frontier Province
, for three years - he is also one of the founders of the Afghanistan Pakistan People's Friendship Association
. In April 1999, he was threatened by extremist factions for demonstrating against “honour” killing in Peshawar
.
On May 2, 1999, he was unanimously elected Chairperson of HRCP for a three-year-term. Re-elected in 2002, he resigned from the post after he rejoined the Awami National Party
. He is also a known constitutional expert and a practising lawyer of Supreme Court
and High court.
Google Books: Out of Afghanistan http://books.google.com/books?id=iFasqHGo3p0C&pg=PA203&lpg=PA203&dq=selig+harrison+afrasiab&source=bl&ots=jRl2ooqRDu&sig=QNhrSFWe07stHTWbgQjlgdLY3DM&hl=en&ei=e5jrSef5I5OMtgeAjK3EBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1
Kohat
Kohat is a medium sized town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 33°35'13N 71°26'29E with an altitude of 489 metres and is the capital of Kohat District. The town centres around a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. A British-built narrow gauge...
, North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. He is currently a member of the Senate, the upper house of the Parliament of Pakistan and the provincial president of the Awami National Party
Awami National Party
The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...
in North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
.
Afrasiab Khattak is a former student leader, Pakistani politician, writer and prominent human rights activist. He has been the president of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan , or HRCP, is an independent, non-profit organization, founded in 1987, which is not associated or affiliated with the government or any political party. It is committed to act with impartiality and objectivity in all matters...
(HRCP).
Early life
Afrasiab Khattak is born in Mandoori khaderkhal.Afrasiab Khattak is from Kohat
Kohat
Kohat is a medium sized town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 33°35'13N 71°26'29E with an altitude of 489 metres and is the capital of Kohat District. The town centres around a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. A British-built narrow gauge...
in NWFP. He was an active leftist politician during the 1970s and 1980s. He spent many years in self-exile in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in the 1980s, due to his strong opposition to General Zia-ul-Haq's military rule.
After his return from Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Khattak contested the general elections from Karak in 1990 but lost to Aslam Khattak.
Leftist Past
Afrasiab Khattak remained associated with the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP) and by some accounts became its Secretary General.Afrasiab Khattak lived in self-exile in Kabul from August 1980 to January 1989. He never had any formal responsibility in Afghanistan and lived there along with other Pakistani opposition politicians like Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s sons, Ajmal Khattak, Khair Bakhsh Marri, and thousands of Baloch dissidents. Afrasiab had a very close personal relationship with Dr. Najibullah dating back to early 1980s. When Dr. Najeeb was brutally murdered by hidden hands in his connivance in September 1996, Afrasaib along with other progressive and nationalist politicians, foxily organized protest demonstrations in Peshawar for three days.
In 1990 Khattak formed the Quami Inquilabi Party (National Revolutionary Party) , a Marxist party, after parting ways with the ANP of Abdul Wali Khan in 1989, he subsequently merged his group to form the Pakhtunkhwa Qaumi Party along with AbdulLatif Afridi
Latif Afridi
Abdul Latif Afridi is a lawyer, currently vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council and the former president of the Pakistan Peshawar High Court Bar Association...
and Afzal Khan Lala
Afzal Khan Lala
Muhammed Afzal Khan Lala also known as Afzal Khan Lala is a Pashtun nationalist, former Pakistani provincial and Federal minister from the Swat valley in the North-West Frontier Province....
.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
Afrasiab Khattak joined the Human Rights Commission of PakistanHuman Rights Commission of Pakistan
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan , or HRCP, is an independent, non-profit organization, founded in 1987, which is not associated or affiliated with the government or any political party. It is committed to act with impartiality and objectivity in all matters...
(HRCP) in 1989, and served as the Vice Chairman of HRCP in Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
, for three years - he is also one of the founders of the Afghanistan Pakistan People's Friendship Association
Afghanistan Pakistan People's Friendship Association
The Afghanistan Pakistan People's Friendship Association is a non-governmental organization group which operates in Pakistan and Afghanistan. These two South Asian nations neighbor each other and have had at times turbulent relationships...
. In April 1999, he was threatened by extremist factions for demonstrating against “honour” killing in Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
.
On May 2, 1999, he was unanimously elected Chairperson of HRCP for a three-year-term. Re-elected in 2002, he resigned from the post after he rejoined the Awami National Party
Awami National Party
The Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...
. He is also a known constitutional expert and a practising lawyer of Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Pakistan
The Supreme Court is the apex court in Pakistan's judicial hierarchy, the final arbiter of legal and constitutional disputes. The Supreme Court has a permanent seat in Islamabad. It has number of Branch Registries where cases are heard. It has a number of de jure powers which are outlined in the...
and High court.
Rejoining the ANP
He was elected in 2006 as the provincial president of the Awami National Party, leading the party to provincial victory in Pakistan's elections of 2008 and became the Peace Ambassador to Govt. of NWFP. He played a vital role in peace process between Taliban and Govt. of NWFP but all his efforts were sabotaged in typical Pakistani Politics. Nevertheless, the Govt of NWFP under Afrasiab’s leadership continued to work on the peace process with the Taliban of Swat, through the banned organization of TNSM and finally they agreed on a treaty about the implementation of NIFAZ E ADL in Malakand District and the Valley of Swat is once again moving towards the peace. Afrasiab khattak has been elected as Senator from the Pukhtoonkhwa Assembly in March, 2009. He has been elected as Chairman of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights.See also
- Human Rights Commission of PakistanHuman Rights Commission of PakistanThe Human Rights Commission of Pakistan , or HRCP, is an independent, non-profit organization, founded in 1987, which is not associated or affiliated with the government or any political party. It is committed to act with impartiality and objectivity in all matters...
- Khan Abdul Wali Khan
- Awami National PartyAwami National PartyThe Awami National Party is an Pashtun nationalist, socialist, centre-left political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International...
External links
Google Books: Out of Afghanistan http://books.google.com/books?id=iFasqHGo3p0C&pg=PA203&lpg=PA203&dq=selig+harrison+afrasiab&source=bl&ots=jRl2ooqRDu&sig=QNhrSFWe07stHTWbgQjlgdLY3DM&hl=en&ei=e5jrSef5I5OMtgeAjK3EBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1