PESHAWAR: His Excellency Lord Wavell accompanied by the Frontier Governor and party rode on horseback 14 miles to Shabkadar Fort at the base of Mohmand Hills today [Nov 28], where elders and Maliks of the Mohmand tribe offered to British Government the services of 20,000 armed men for the prosecution of war. During his journey the Viceroy had to pass through the most fertile part of Peshawar valley meeting villagers on the way.

His Excellency was entertained to a typical Pathan lunch by Mohmand Maliks who also presented him on the occasion with a tribal dagger, haversack and shoes used by them when they go to war. At the Shabkadar Fort which lies on the border of the Mohmand Tribal territory and from which many times during the past 60 years, tribesmen acting on the instigation of the fanatical mullahs swooped down for loot and plunder, Lord Wavell and party were received by the leading Maliks of the Mohmand tribe and by the frontier constabulary who nowadays man the fort and who furnished a guard of honour…

The party sat down with the tribesmen for lunch, which consisted of pilau, kababs, curry and other special tribal dishes with wines served only for Englishmen. — Dawn Delhi

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2018