A passenger bus coming from Buner suddenly stopped near Mian Koto, Karakar, due to some technical fault. The passengers lighted down and stood in groups, as driver and helper worked on rectifying the fault. Two of the passengers started hot dispute on some matter. All of a sudden one of them draw a pistol and fired at the other man. He missed him but the bullet hit another passenger. He fell down and died on the spot, lying on the road. The culprit tried to escape but a ‘Subedar Major’ living near by, rushed at him and over powered him with the help of his villagers. He took the culprit to his ‘hujra’. The ‘Subedar Major’ had a phone installed by the State government. He called the Tehsildar Barikot and the ‘Masheer’ Lower Swat and reported the crime. In a short time police from Ghalegi Fort arrived and took the accused in their custody. They took him to Saidu Sharif. The next day, he was presented to the Ruler of Swat, Miangul Jahanzeb. After hearing the details, evidence of the bus driver and the passengers, and consulting the Qazis, the Wali ordered that the man should be executed. For the night, he was put behind the bars. Next morning, the brother of the murdered person arrived to shoot the assassin according to the laws of ‘Qisas’.
When the man was brought out of the prison, to take him down to the deep ravine near the Central Jail at Saidu Sharif, he was shattered. He chanted ‘Kalma’ and Pashtu songs at the same time. As he was a poet and often took part in ‘Mushairas’ held on the eve of the 12th December, or 5th June, he expected leniency in his death sentence from the Ruler. Anyhow, he was led to the prescribed spot and the brother of the killed person shoot him on the left shoulder as pointed by the Jailor. He fell down on his face. As a legal procedure, the doctor on duty checked his pulse and heart beat, turning him on one side after ten minutes. He was still alive. The doctor signaled to the brother of the deceased to fire another shot on the chest. The killer shouted, “Do not shoot me. I am a ‘Shaheed’”. The court officer ordered to fire the second shot. With that bullet, his body jerked and then lay still. As his own family members had not yet arrived, his body laid on a cot, on the road side under a large Shisham tree where now Saidu Medical College stands. There was no one around him. Blood oozed from the two bullets holes. Late in the day, his relatives arrived and took him to his home, Krapa, Bunir for burial.
Dear readers, the name of that poet was Amir Haider Buneri. The Subedar Major who handled the situation was, Mian Mustafa known generally as ‘Karakar Pacha’.
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