PESHAWAR, Feb 11: Some Afridi tribesmen have launched a move to exhume the remains of freedom fighter Multan Khan Afridi from his grave in the Peshawar central prison and transfer them to his ancestral Khyber Agency.
Almost a century ago, Multan Khan Afridi, hailing from the Zakhakhel clan of Afridi tribe, was declared a bandit by the colonial rulers. After being killed, he was buried along with his companions within the premises of the central prison.
It is learnt that a committee called the Multan Khan Shaheed Release Committee has been constituted with Taj Mahal Afridi as chairman. Other noted members of the committee are Malik Darya Khan Zakhakhel, Barrister Haroon and Shehzad Gul.
The committee has sent letters to the NWFP governor, inspector general of prisons and the political agent of Khyber Agency for shifting Multan Khan’s remains.
According to a committee member, the government has retrieved the file of Multan Khan from the archives department and has been looking into his history.
“Initially, we have been trying to get permission for arranging fateha khwani at the grave stated to be that of Multan Khan, and after complete permission we would shift his remains to Khyber Agency,” said Taj Mahal Afridi.
In the letters, the committee members stated that Multan Khan was prompted by the uprising in the subcontinent in 1857 which strengthened his resolve to get rid of the British occupation through armed struggle.
It is stated that in the year 1907, Multan Khan attacked the British troops stationed at Peshawar Cantonment. He also reportedly attacked Sarrafa Bazaar in Peshawar city against which an FIR was registered.
The letters stated that in the year 1908, Multan Khan was besieged by the British troops at Surizai Mira, and after a long encounter he embraced martyrdom. His body as well as his few companions who were arrested alive were brought to the central prison. His companions were executed there and the bodies were buried within the premises of the prison in a mass grave.
A prison official told Dawn that a grave near the northern boundary of the prison was famous as Multan Khan’s grave and it was believed that the freedom fighter was buried there.
He said they had no accurate information about the character of Multan Khan.
The committee stated that it was matter of disgrace not only for the Afridi tribe but also for the entire nation that somebody who lost his life for the freedom of the entire region was dubbed a bandit, and not given proper attention by the Pakistani authorities later.
There are various interesting stories related to Multan Khan which turned him into a mythological character.
A myth attached to him is that he had directed his followers to dig his grave after his execution, and he would come out alive. It is claimed that when his followers dug his grave, he came out alive, which astonished the British rulers. And when he was finally executed, his body was chained and buried inside the prison so that his grave could never be excavated. It is also believed that his body was buried in a deep well below his grave.
