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In the Autumn of 1946, Jawahar Lal Nehru visited Khyber agency , Malakand and North Waziristan Agencies. This was an attempt by the Congress party to prove they had support in Muslim majority areas unlike the All India Muslim League. They had reason to feel confident, despite the growing support of the 'Pakistan Movement', the Congress party led by the Khan brothers had won the 1946 election. To counter the
visit the Muslim League enlisted the support of the Pir of Manki Sharif.
Olaf Caroe the Governor at the time (described by his detractors as a League supporter) wrote about the Waziristan visit '
The next day Nehru started for Waziristan, where the tribal leaders he saw at Miranshah and Razmak gave him an extremely hostile reception. These were not Jirgas, but the real leaders of the tribes who are of course selected by the tribes on tradition and heredity. Abdul Ghaffar Khan made the usual approach so popular in Congress circles, saying that all had been slaves together and were now going to be free. You can imagine the effect of that sort of talk on a gathering of glowering Pathan tribesmen. The Maliks were further enraged by Nehru losing his temper. '
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References:
-Picture via QK contributor Maria
-Reference for above quote The Transfer of Power 1942-7, Volume VIII The Interim Government. 498 page 786 Sir O. Caroe (North-West Frontier Province) to Field Marshal Viscount WavellGOVERNOR's CAMP, PARACHINAR,
23 October 1946
