Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai

Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai

Khan Shaheed Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai (circa. 7 July 1907 – 2 December 1973) (Pashto: عبدالصمد خان اڅکزی‎) was a Pashtun nationalist and political leader from Quetta, Pakistan. Known as "Khan Shaheed", he became the founder and head of Anjuman-i-Watan, Wror Pashtoon and Pakhtunkhwa National Awami Party. He was repeatedly imprisoned for 35 years both during the British Indian and the Pakistani government for secessionist activities. During the Independence Movement, "Anjuman-i-Watan" was first political organ in Baluchistan launched by Khan Shaheed. he was a member of the Congress party in the Balochistan area of British India, and campaigned for Pashtun autonomy in a united secular India, along with Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Bacha Khan) in the then North-West Frontier Province. A follower of Mohandas Gandhi, he was known by many as the "Baloch Gandhi". He was a member of the National Awami Party (NAP), before forming a breakaway Pakhtunkhwa National Party and later on Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party. He was member of the Balochistan Provincial Assembly at the time of his assassination in December 1973. After Samad Khan's demise, his son Engineer Mahmood Khan Achakzai was elected the chairman of the party.