A N Bharadwaj
It is well known to the world that British India situated in South Asia was partitioned vide Indian Independence Act. of 1947, wherein Pakistan was carved out. Accordingly, these rulers started the process to merge their states as they were fully competent.
At that time M A Jinnah headed Muslim League was very anxious to get the States acceded, which were in demarcated territory of Pakistan and for that purpose, his ruling leaders with the use of violence and coercive techniques, suppressed the rulers to get their states acceded, to their new emerging countries. Out of these, the Ruler of Kalat proposed that he would enjoy the same status of his sovereignty according to his reverting sovereign powers from British to him which was refused by Jinnah authoratively to agree his proposal. However soon after, he sent his envoy Zehsi and Kuram Khan Kansi capitalize for accession but failed. Afterwards, autocratically Jinnah was invited him at Karachi on accession issue. After his reaching he was encircled in very uncivil manner by these leaders such as Liaqat Ali, Sowrawardi Fazal Haq headed by Jinnah, who closely confined and compelled him strictly to sign on the document prepared already of a accession his Kalat State to Pakistan under pistol point resulting in they got it signed his signature on the ready document in unconscious condition. With the result of that, a violent revolt was erupted headed by his brother Agha Abdul Karim in his State, which is continuing since then. That confidential fact was brought out by Mani Shankar Aiyar IAS officer`s book titled ‘Pakistan Papers’ for the information of the world powers.
Political and historical back ground:The political status of Kalat, which was the largest first ranking Baluch state and its agitation against British regime afterwards Pakistan, which could not be brought out in the light by the people due to their suppression and extreme backwardness, as well as hegemony of Anglo-American Block. The Kalat was a princely State existed from 1666 to 1955 AD. Situated in the centre of Baluchistan, which covered the southern part of Sustain of Barouchistan province, Iran in the western side, Pak occupied Baluchistan in eastern and in the north west Afghanistan, Helmand province, the Gulf of Oman formed the southern border. At that time the people of Kalat had been reeling under Mughal slavery of Akbar, who ruled that State in sovereign status and Ahmedzan also ruled that state in Sovereign status till 1839, State in a subsidiary alliance with British India. Thus it was a sovereign state under the protection of British India rule, just like other British Indian princely states. It enjoyed its sovereign status till March 1948.
In the Baloch history the name of dynamic and fearless ruler Nasir Ahmed Khan who ruled from 1750 to 1795 AD, and developed its Kalat kingdom of heaven stands apart. He faced the challenge of Afghans under Ahmed Shah Durani until they recognised his Suzerainty in Baluchistan. He battled alongside Durani at the battle field of Panipat (Punjab).
The way to Kalat was forced through the Bolan Pass by British on ward in 1837-38 AD leading eventually to the treaty of 1841 AD between the Khan of Kalat and the British. The treaty of 1841 and the later treaty of 1876 AD, which recognized the sovereignty of the Khan of Kalat in internal affairs, but Kalat on par with Nepal. Afterwards by a Treaty of 1882 AD, Quetta and other parts of the State were ceded in perpetuity to the British, enabling the establishment of a Chief Commissioner`s province in British Baluchistan and the opening of the Bolon-Chaman and later the Quetta Zahidan railway. As a result of these treaties relations and the administrative that flowed from them not only was Baluchistan itself insulted from the rest of India, but also with in Baluchistan developed along strikingly different lines to the system implemented in Kalat.
Within that isolation from the part of British India, The major part of Baluchistan, which was under the sovereignty of the Khan of Kalat was allowed and encouraged, to develop an administrative ethos based on traditional tribal practice. That display in the administration ethos as between British Baluchistan and Kalat, affected the evolution of political thinking in the two parts of Baluchistan. It was in the Khante of Kalat that the sense of separateness was the strongest.
In the meanwhile, M A Jinnah started overtures to the Khan of Kalat. He stated in 1937, his ideological campaign on Islamic basis, and propagated provincial autonomy for Baluch people, and persuaded the Khan of Kalat to extend his moral and material support to him in reciprocal he led the Khan to believe that the carrot of independence for Kalat was being dangled before his eyes.
During election of 1945 he again toured Baluchistan extensively. At that time, there was no provincial legislative assembly in either British, Baluchistan or in the Khanate of Kalat. The British decreed that the question of whether Baluchistan should join Pakistan or not. The issue was discussed and determinded by invoking a Shahi Jirga, and voted in favour of joining Pakistan under presumption that Kalat would emerge a sovereign independent State just like present status at the departure of the British, therefore it would enter for a new treaty with Pakistan on parity basis to keep its sovereignty as it was during British regime.
On the eve of partition of British India, the Khan of Kalat despite merger of his State, proposed a standstill agreement with Pakistan. The long discussion started on the issue of merger of his state to Pakistan. During discussion, the Khan of Kalat wished to merge his State on the basis of that sovereign status which reverted to him by the British Government. Consequently on 11th August 1947, a letter was written by the British Crown Representative Lord Louis Mountbatten to Khan of Kalat, acknowledging and supporting of Muslim League President M A Jinnah, which appeared to have given the Khan of Kalat an impression that he had being offered the right for sovereign independence, subject to his having a special relationship with Pakistan. Thus, the day after Pak-independence, the Khan offered a special treaty for relationship with Pakistan while affirming the sovereignty of his Khanate which was turned down by Jinnah and prejudicial differences started to appear against each other.
Khan of Kalat Mir Ahmed Yar Khan under Jinnah dictatorship agreed on 4th August 1947, that Kalat State would enjoy the same sovereign status as it had been enjoyed during British regime vide Treaty of 1838 AD. Accordingly an agreement was signed with Pak Government agreeing that Kalat was an independent sovereign State, subject to an article IV of the agreement that a standstill agreement between Pakistan and Kalat by which Pak Government shall stand committed to all the responsibilities, agreement signed by the Kalat and British Government from 1839 to 1947, and by that the Pakistan shall be the legal, constitutional and political successor. According to that agreement, the Kalat sovereignty was reverted to Pakistan by the British Government. The Khan of Kalat got a sovereign Status of his State on 15th August 1947. Although, Jinnah pressurized Mir Ahmed yar Khan Kalat on 27th March 1948 to accept Pak rule and regulations, but he did not accept his degrading proposal to the level of dummy, which Jinnah went out of patience.