NORHT WAZIRISTAN: Every year 16th April is unofficially observed as Faqir Ipi’s death anniversary in North Waziristan to remember him.

Haji Mirzali Khan Wazir, commonly known as Faqir Ipi, was the most determined and implacable adversary of the British Raj in India during the first half of the 20th century.

Born in 1897, Faqir Ipi belong to a Madikhel Torikhel, a sub-tribe of a larger Utmanzai Wazir, to a religious family. He gave a tough time to the then superpower - the Great Britain in Waziristan, part of the then Fata, now merged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It was in March, 1936 when an episode of Islam Bibi of Bannu proved a turning point in Faqir’s career.

It was a trial case of Ram Kor, later converted to Islam and renamed Islam Bibi after marrying a resident of Bannu. The local magistrate declared Ram Kor to be minor and ordered that she should be returned to her parents.

The decision infuriated the locals and a grand meeting of local religious scholars and elders was held.

Faqir gave an impressive speech at the meeting and declared the court order as an attempt to intervene in Islamic affairs.

His declaration of “Islam in danger” propelled him to the slot of a “Chief Khalifa” and he in turn nominated regional “Khalifas” and declared jihad against the British Empire.

The British authorities retaliated. The fight continued on different fronts.

However, the “Khaisor War” is considered the most lethal one, where Faqir and his followers caused over a thousand casualties to the British troops, and the government of India was forced to mobilise three full divisions of over 50,000 men to fight against him.

Faqir was shelled, bombed for over a decade and many of his followers were killed, but he himself was never captured. It was till 1947 when Faqir would constantly enrage to keep busy the British authorities.

Faqir was against the division of India, and viewed that a separate nation state would weaken the Muslims in India.

He was also influenced by the post World War II developments, and predicted that the nascent state would not hold its neutrality.

He died a natural death in 1960 and was buried in Gurwek, North Waziristan.

The successive governments have failed to give due attention to preserve the legacy of Faqir Ipi.

After operation Zarb-i-Azb, when the displaced people returned to Khaisor in North Waziristan, Faqir’s often used abode, Pakistan Army imprinted the heroics of Faqir on a wall near Alikhel market.

It brought a good feeling to the youngsters, though on a shorter scale, as it was an acknowledgment that their forefathers fought side by side the Faqir against the imperial British forces.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2021