Battagram MPC rejects call for Hazara province
—Dawn BATTAGRAM: As the debate over the creation of new provinces and administrative units in the country has resurfaced, the movement demanding a separate Hazara province has once again gained momentum. However, the call for Hazara province was unanimously rejected by political and social leaders of Battagram during a multi-party conference here on Saturday. With the political leadership of…
During a multi-party conference in Battagram, political and social leaders unanimously rejected the call for the establishment of a separate Hazara province. Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Haripur leaders were holding consultations and awareness sessions on the topic. The ANP's Battagram chapter organized the conference to address the issue.
ANP district president Riaz Khan stated that most people in Hazara Division were Pakhtuns and opposed the creation of a Hazara province, instead advocating for the establishment of an Abaseen Division in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Gulfam Sabir emphasized that the 18th Constitutional Amendment, enacted during the ANP government, had already opposed naming the province as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Pakistan Peoples Party's Akhter Javed Khan mentioned that certain elements had previously attempted to create a Hazara province, but the people of Battagram had rejected the plan, causing a strike and protests. District Bar Association President Rasool Khan said lawyers were also against the creation of a Hazara province and supported the Abaseen Division.
Former JUI-F minister Bakht Nawaz Khan clarified that his party was against new provinces and administrative units, calling for peace and economic stability instead. ANP former district president Ayaz Khan announced that representatives from all political parties, social activists, trader bodies, and student federations had unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the Hazara province call and demanded the formation of the Abaseen Division.
A committee would be formed to seek the people's support for the Abaseen Division in neighboring districts.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
