Mian Hazrat Jamal Kakakhel

Early life

He was born at District Swabi (Dandoqa) of Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Mian Ali Akbar Kaka Khel on 27 December 1906. He belonged to a rich landlord family. He was educated in the government school Nawan Killi from which he passed his 8th standard. He was later admitted to the "Madrassa Uloom e Islamia" Mardan and there received religious education for four years. Later on he helped his father in his business and farming. He married at the age of 28.

Political life

He was actively involved in the pre-independence politics of the Indian Subcontinent. He started his political career as a young worker of Pakistan Movement from the platform of "All India Muslim League". In 1938, he refused the offer of the British Indian Government to become an Inspector in the Indian Police. He was elected General Secretary of All India Muslim League Swabi Region in 1938.

He was the chief presiding officer of the Swabi region during the historic referendum of 1947, held throughout the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) to establish its affiliation with either Pakistan or India. The All India Muslim League won the referendum and the NWFP became a part of Pakistan.

Kakakhel was made "Assessor" by the Peshawer High Court on 1 January 1949 and thus received authority for conducting the summary trials of regional cases. He served in this post till 26 February 1961. In 1952 he was selected Advisor of Rural Affairs to the Governor of NWFP, Khurshid Ali Khan but he refused this offer and continued serving as an Assessor.

Early in 1945, General Gracy, a commander in the British Indian Army visited him at his house and controversially praised his personality.

On the imposition of Martial Law in 1958, initiated by Field Marshal Ayub Khan, Kakakhel was unable to participate in politics. Later on, the Peshawer High Court dissolved his designation as an Assessor while facing a trial regarding a regional clash with the peoples of his village. He remained actively involved in the affairs of his area till 1980, after which he retired from his political career and devoted his life for religious practices till his death.

In 1951, the Governor of NWFP, Khurshid Ali Khan visited to him at his village and was impressed by his work as "Judicial Assessor". He said:

Professional life

Kakakhel was devoted to his profession as an Assesor. He was known for arranging minor rural trials in his own local gathering house, "Hujra" which was called "Speena Banglow" in Pushto language (the White Castle, in English). He and the Deputy Commissioner of the District resolved various trials under the Pakistan Penal Code.

His role during the independence of Pakistan

After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, a large number of Hindus left Pakistani areas and migrated to India followed by the migration of Muslims in India to Pakistan. To ensure the peaceful migration of peoples from both sides, after outbreak of the riots, Kakakhel was selected among those supervisors who received responsibility for ensuring the peaceful return of Hindus to India. All the Hindus living under his responsibility were safely transferred to Peshawer and from there to India by Pakistani helicopters.

Imprisonment

Kakakhel was involved in an armed clash with local political rivals in the morning of Friday, 19 February 1960. He was subsequently arrested and imprisoned for one year. He was released on 29 November 1960 due to lack of evidence against him. Both the involved parties agreed to avoid further aggression.

Death of sons

On 17 September 1979 his 26-year-old son, Javed Ali Shah Kaka Khel, who was a mechanical engineer by a profession, was shot dead during an armed clash between two groups outside the village. His second son, Mustafa Kamal, also an engineer, died in a roadside accident at Sargodha in 1986, leaving two sons and two daughters as orphans.

Paying his first Pilgrimage

In 1990, Kakakhel visited Saudi Arabia to perform his hajj. After this he devoted whole of his life to religion and rest.

Friends

Kakakhel's friends included All India Muslim League members including Sardar Abdul Rab Nashtar, Sahbzada Khursheed, Sahib Manki Shareef, Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan and Mian Wajid ul Haq Kakakhel.

Death

Kakakhel died of kidney failure on Friday 20 June 2008, by which time he was among only nine remaining original Pakistan Movement workers.

After his death, Hund, the annual student's magazine of Government Post Graduate College, Swabi, paid a special tribute to Kakakhel in January 2009 by publishing an article about his work for Pakistan Movement.