EPILOGUE 175
was still in power after the Partition. It was too firmly
established to be dislodged by normal constitutional
means. So on 21st of August, 1947, it was dismissed by
Qaid-e-Azam by a ukase. *
On September 3 and 4, 1947; at a large gathering con-
sisting of the Provincial jirgas, the Parliamentary Party.
Zalme Pukhtoon (The Young Pathan League), Khudai
Khidmatgars and representatives from Tribal areas at
Sardaryab, Badshah Khan once more defined his demand
of Pathanistan to mean full freedom for the Pathans to
manage their internal affairs as a unit within the Pakistan
State. " This new State/' ran one of the resolutions adopt-
ed in the meeting, " will comprise the present six Settled
Districts of the North-West Frontier Province and all such
other contiguous areas inhabited b}T the Pathans which
may wish to join the new State of their own free will.
This State will enter into agreement on Defence, External
Affairs and Communications with the Dominion of Pakis-
tan.
" I have been working for the establishment of
Pathanistan all my life/7 said Badshah Khan in the course
of his address at Sardaryab. " It was for the purpose of
achieving unity among the Pathans that the Khudai Khid-
matgar organization was started in 1930. I stand for those
principles today for which 1 stood in 1930. My path is
therefore quite clear. I will not forsake it even if 1 stand
alone in the world/*
But the campaign of vilification against and persecu-
tion of Badshah Khan and the Khudai Khidmatgars con-
tinued. Nothing daunted, Badshah Khan carried on an
untiring campaign to educate and organize public opinion
for the realization of his ideal of Pathanistan.
IH
The Lone Witness
In January, 1948, Gandhiji who had inspired him and
guided his footsteps on the path of ahimsa all these years?
fell to the assassin's bullet and the Frontier Gandhi was