LAHORE: A demand that Waziristan should be declared an independent and sovereign State to be governed by their Chiefs and Maliks through a joint Jirga of all tribes, is made by four tribal Chiefs in a statement to the A.P.I. They further demand that the British should withdraw their armies, scouts and jawans, etc. from Waziristan at once so that the joint Jirga should be summoned by the tribes to find out ways … for the establishment of an independent State of Waziristan where the law of the land should be the Shariat-i-Islam.

… The statement says: “Once Waziristan becomes an independent State, there is so much mineral wealth in the hills of Waziristan that, within a short period of 15 years, it will be one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Coal mines and silver and gold mines are abundantly found in these mountains … . When able and experienced engineers are employed by the Azad Jirga for Waziristan, the world will see many new things, not even dreamt of by Indians what to say of Europeans. This is the … object of the Faqir of Ipi and Prince Fazal Din who are the uncrowned Kings of Waziristan.”

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2022