Many facets of a maverick tribesman of Waziristan Mirza Ali Khan famously known as the Faqir of Ippi remain hidden hitherto from public eye. It was the period between 1935 and 1947 when entire Waziristan was up in arms against the then Brits and armed tribesmen were giving a bloody nose to English army men stationed in Waziristan and Bannu. It was precisely the same period when Hitler had unleashed a bloody war against England in what is known as second world war. It is in the evidence that Hitler had given the task to Germany s diplomatic mission stationed in Kabul to offer money and arms and ammunition to Faqir of Ippi to step up his attacks on English army men in the southern districts of the then NWFP. Since the German dictator was too much involved in the war in Europe he couldn’t give required attention to finalizing this task. It is also in the evidence that after creation of Pakistan India had tried to raise the bogey of Pakistan and was in the look out for assistance of Faqir of ippi in the matter.
Very few people know that former President of Pakistan Iskandar Mirza had remained Assistant political Agent in Miran Shah in 1920s and since then he enjoyed good relations with Faqir of Ippi so in order to preempt such possibility he thought it prudent to bring down Faqir of Ippi from the mountains by offering him a residential accomodation in some city in Pakistan and also fixing some monthly monetary assistance for him. A dialogue with him had started for the purpose which however could not reach its fruition as Iskandar Mirza was toppled from power by Ayub Khan and sent in exile to Britain.
It worth mentioning that Faqir of Ippi lived in a place known as Gurweikt in Madakhel area. He is nick named as Faqir of Ippi because he had spent a great time in village Ippi in Murali North Waziristan where he ran a religious institution and also dealt practicing hakeemi medicine.
