AFGHAN CIVIL WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20244, 2 May 1929, Page 13

AFGHAN CIVIL WAR.

(USIJBPER CHALLENGED

NADIR KHAN'S FORGES.

ADVANCE ON CAPITAL.

A BATTLE IMMINENT.

DETERMINED ATTACKER

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Press Association. (Received M'tiy 1, 10.25 p.m.) DELHI, May 1 A fierce battle is imminent between flio forces of Bacha-i-Sakao—who calls himself Habibulla Ghazi since he usurped the throne of Afghanistan—and Creneral Nadir Khan. Having failed in an at tempt to bribe Jvadir, Bacha-i-S'akao boldly sent an army to meet him, leaving the capital, Kabul, practically undefended. Nadir determined to fight the rebel King and to enter the capital. He is now advancing with a force of. 6000 men.

Nadir has the support of his brother Shah Malimud. There is a possibility of the brothers launching frontal and flank attacks in order to cut off Bacha-i-Sakao's retreat to Kabul.

General Nadir Khan, "Afghanistan's man of tho moment," arrived at Bombay on February 22 from France, and left tho same day for Peshawar. To an interviewer ho said ho intended to stay in Peshawar a few days, and then proceed to Jellalabad, the storro centre of the rebels' activities. He emphasised the peaceful character of his mission, saying lie hoped Afghanistan would return to pjacc. Nadir said he was confident he could win the tribesmen to his way of thinking, and believed that his efforts would make it possible for Afghanistan to have a strong, independent Government, without which Asia's peace must bo endangered. Asked if he agreed with ex-King Amannlla's reforms, Nadir replied that progress and new measures were necessjiry No nation could occupy a leading place in the world without introducing measures to advance the country's progress toward civilisation, but Amanulla had paid the penalty for giving his people too strong a dose. He hoped the lesson would not be lost on the ex-King.

The general said he was convinced that unless peace was soon restored in Afghanistan the country's honour and independence would be lost. To save Afghanistan from that fate he had left France, where he was sojourning for his health's sake, and was willing to die in an attempt to achieve his mission. On February 18 Bacha-i-Sakao issued from Kabul a remarkable proclamation to tho Islamic world, from which the following are extracts:—"l am a humble person who had no aspiration to become a King or an Amir Some friends of Amanulla, who had strayed from the path of religion and faith, have called me a thief. God forgive'and forbid. I was and am a devotee of Islam, and a servant of the Ulema and of those who abide by the Sbariat of the Prophet of God. When Amanulla followed the faith and creed of Europeans, abandoned the law of Mahommed, stood in opposition to those who acted in accordance with the Shariat, dispersed the Ulema of the Faith in all directions, and openly manifested hatred against them, 1 was obliged to come forward as the champion of the cause of God and the Kaligrra to oppose this irreligious Amir and to help the Ulema. *

"I went without food in the hills and deserts and sought the society of the "Ulema at night, till Amanulla felt penitent for his infidelity during thei rebellion of the religious people and took an oath. But some time afterwards he violated this vow. The Ulema pronounced him a heretic, and ordained that his penitence was not acceptable. They unanimously called upon me to become their Amir, as my sole object was to make Jehad (holy war) ana to remove Amanulla from the throne. I accepted the invitation for the sake of the Kalima and the progress of Islam

"1 warned Amanulla and his followers that the Shariat and Mahommed's faith regarded him as a heretic, and did not want him as Amir, and that he should abdicate in favour of some devotee of the Faith, whom Afghanistan could recognise. When Amanulla found that, he was alone and that all were hostile to his activities he abdicated, appointing his elder brother Jnayatulla as his successor by Firman. This wretched fellow did not realise that the Firman was of no effect. The people failed him a heretic and were driving him from the country. I therefore inform the people of the Islamic world and of Afghanistan that the Ulema, the Syeds, and the subjects of Kabul and the provinces, and the armies mobilised from Kabul and from the provinces to fight against me have offered me allegiance. Your allegiance is' immediately demanded in favour of the man whose solo aim is the uplift of the Kalima."