How is Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan viewed in Pakistan?

[street cricketer]

So I came across this picture on twitter today when Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan met late Dilip Kumar at Madras in 1969. "Frontier Gandhi" as he's widely known in India was apparently invited to India for Gandhi's 100th birth anniversary celebration by the Indian government and Khan toured all over India during the visit.



Generally there tends to be polarising opinions on the political leaders of Pakistan, but Abdul Ghaffar Khan is one person who is almost universally revered in India for his advocation of non violence and hindu-muslim unity. I remember first reading about him in history book during school when he was hailed as a great proponent of non violence and pacifism. He is apparently the only non-Indian, apart from Nelson Mandela, to have been conferred the Bharat Ratna award in India.

It striked me a bit odd about how one leader in Pakistan is viewed so positively in India when there generally tends to be an air of ambivalence about most other Pakistani leaders. How is he viewed in Pakistan?

 

[SangasCoverDrive]

He has a party run by his offsprings. He’s seen favorably by Pathans but antagonized by by other Pakistanis.

 

[Giannis]

No one really has an opinion, he's not a significant figure to Pakistan. I guess it would be like asking Indians on how they view Bhindranwale or Maqbool Bhat.

 

[King-Misbah]

His party ANP is non existant in Pakistan, this shows how he is portrayed in Pakistan.

 

[gani999]

No one really has an opinion, he's not a significant figure to Pakistan. I guess it would be like asking Indians on how they view Bhindranwale or Maqbool Bhat.

Bhindranwale and Maqbool Bhat are viewed as terrorists in India.
I didn't know Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan was hated so much in Pakistan.

 

[Giannis]

Bhindranwale and Maqbool Bhat are viewed as terrorists in India.
I didn't know Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan was hated so much in Pakistan.

I didn't know those guys are hated in India, they were fighters for democracy and human rights - I'm sure they're respected by Indian progressives.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Isnt the peshawar airport named bacha khan airport?

Didn't ANP rule kpk for decades?

 

[rockyboy2018]

If he is not covered in Pakistani textbooks, then he must be a right man morally. Never heard of him. In our textbooks, non-muslims are considered enemies of Islam so they are portrayed as evil. Same with Dr.Abdus Salam. The only thing I read about him he was the only Nobel prize winner. No more information about his works. However, stupid people and their stupid invasion of Hindus were covered in the books.

 

[Giannis]

If he is not covered in Pakistani textbooks, then he must be a right man morally. Never heard of him. In our textbooks, non-muslims are considered enemies of Islam so they are portrayed as evil. Same with Dr.Abdus Salam. The only thing I read about him he was the only Nobel prize winner. No more information about his works. However, stupid people and their stupid invasion of Hindus were covered in the books.

Depends on what you define as "morally right", he was an ethnonationalist and believed the supremacy of his ethnicity - those aren't ideals I'd say are progressive. He chose to get buried in Jalalabad, Afghanistan as he saw it as homeland and always had close ties with the Afghan establishment and the Soviets as he was aligned with marxism/eastern bloc.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Isnt the peshawar airport named bacha khan airport?

Yes

Didn't ANP rule kpk for decades?

No. They were part of coalition governments, but they were the majority party from 2008 through 2013.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

He opposed the creation of Pakistan. He has only popularity among Pashtun Nationalist. Among non Pashtuns he would have as much as popularity in Pakistan as Jinnah would have in India.

 

[ElRaja]

viewed slightly negatively by nationalists, but generally irrelevant to contemporary politics.

 

[PetroDollars]

Well hes a pastun nationalist and considered a hero by them, but hes hated by punjabis that make up the majority of pakistan.

 

[moghul]

An anti-Pakistan, traitor , who was an Indian agent in Pakistan .

 

[Giannis]

Well hes a pastun nationalist and considered a hero by them, but hes hated by punjabis that make up the majority of pakistan.

1. Not all Pashtuns consider him a hero.

2. Punjabis aren't the majority of Pakistan, they're a plurality and most Punjabis don't know much about him let alone "hate him".

3. Patriotic Pakistanis aren't just Punjabi - you'll find plenty of patriotic Sindhis, Kashmiris, Urdu-speakers and Pashtuns alike who don't like Ghaffar Khan or anyone that exploits identity politics.

 

[moghul]

Well hes a pastun nationalist and considered a hero by them, but hes hated by punjabis that make up the majority of pakistan.

What kind of Pashtun nationalist this fraud was who did not chose to be buried among Pashtuns where he was born and spent all his life.

 

[King-Misbah]

Well hes a pastun nationalist and considered a hero by them, but hes hated by punjabis that make up the majority of pakistan.

Stop talking on behalf of pashtuns.

 

[Shah]

Was against the creation of Pakistan. Worked for the breakup of Pakistan like his son. Traitor.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

What kind of Pashtun nationalist this fraud was who did not chose to be buried among Pashtuns where he was born and spent all his life.

He was trying to make a point. That he did not view the border as legitimate.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Yes



No. They were part of coalition governments, but they were the majority party from 2008 through 2013.

Malala in her speech talked about being inspired by Bacha Khan. Even pashtuns in India greatly respect him. These people are mainly immigrants from Afghanistan in Kolkata.

 

[King-Misbah]

Malala in her speech talked about being inspired by Bacha Khan. Even pashtuns in India greatly respect him. These people are mainly immigrants from Afghanistan in Kolkata.

Indians are not genuine pashtuns, they more then likely married local non pashtuns. For example, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan are not pure pashtuns. I realise Birds of a feather flock togather so I am not surprised what Malala says.

 

[moghul]

Malala in her speech talked about being inspired by Bacha Khan. Even pashtuns in India greatly respect him. These people are mainly immigrants from Afghanistan in Kolkata.

She was not the only kid who misunderstood traitors like him. Misled by the propaganda by his pro-India, anti-Pakistan party.

 

[Giannis]

Indians are not genuine pashtuns, they more then likely married local non pashtuns. For example, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan are not pure pashtuns. I realise Birds of a feather flock togather so I am not surprised what Malala says.

If they're Afghan refugees then they're not mixed but they have a biased opinion since a lot of Afghans are anti-Pakistan. Afghan refugees and their politics aren't representative of Pakistani Pashtuns.

 

[PakLFC]

He is no one at all today other then an enemy of Pakistan who was against the countries creation. Just a Gandhi wannabe hence was called "frontier Gandhi".