KP Assembly adopts resolution to create Hazara province

PESHAWAR: A resolution moved by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for creating a new Hazara province was adopted with majority vote by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly, DawnNews reported on Friday.

Opposition MPAs belonging to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) opposed the resolution calling it a conspiracy to divide the province.

Earlier, session of the KP Assembly commenced with Speaker Asad Qaiser in the chair. Sardar Idrees of PTI tabled the resolution which was subsequently adopted by the house by majority vote.

The resolution read that the provincial assembly should request federal government to pass a bill for National Assembly for creation of new units including Hazara within the ambit of Constitution with the objective of easing administrative affairs.

Criticising the move by the ruling PTI, ANP’s Parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was like a bouquet and his party opposes any attempt to divide it.

"Keeping in the view the difficulties being faced by the province, it’s time to talk about unity instead of disintegration."

He alleged that resolution is based on linguistic divide and aimed at political point scoring.

PPP MPA Nighat Orakzai also said the demand for dividing the province was not in line with the current circumstances.

PTI MPAs Mushtaq Khan, Wajiuz Zaman and Qalander Lodhi tried to dispel the impression that demand of Hazara province was based on dividing the province on the basis of linguistic identities. We just want to improve administrative set up as people of Hazara were facing a lot of problem in reaching to Peshawar, they said.

During the debate, the treasury which was supporting the resolution about Hazara province become divided and provincial ministers including Sirajul Haq of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Shaukat Yousazai of PTI brought another resolution regarding renaming of province as “Hazara Khyber Pakthunkhwa.”

The resolution of renaming the province was also adopted by majority vote.

The house also adopted five more amendment bills including the one of that relating to local government.

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raza

Mar 21, 2014 10:10pm

Do we never learn ? make as many provinces as you want but dont name them after languages please we have yet to become Pakistanis as we are Sindhis Punjabis Baloch and Pathans and now we want Hazaras WOW

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voice

Mar 21, 2014 11:02pm

Good step by PTI. There should be two provinces in Sind, at least two more from Punjab..it will begin to strengthen federation.

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Fahad

Mar 21, 2014 11:03pm

Yet oppose resolution for Karachi as a province. Why?

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edwardian

Mar 21, 2014 11:03pm

Didn't ANP think of the consequences when they were naming the province to Pakhtunkhwa. That was the beginning of the division of the province. Think! For better administration and equal spending in developmental projects, smaller provinces are needed. I hope Punjab assembly also takes a constructive move by creating Bahawalpur province.

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Amir Bangash

Mar 21, 2014 11:14pm

A linguistic based division has been created and the resolution also trespasses the provincial boundaries by asking for more countrywide provinces in addition to Hazara.

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Waldo

Mar 21, 2014 11:14pm

+1 to Fahad's comment. Dividing all of the current provinces into 2 or 3 would help improve governance and administration. Good move by KP.

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Babar Khan

Mar 21, 2014 11:23pm

If PTI is not biased against Muhajirs then PTI member of Sindh Assembly should also present 2 resolution in Sindh Assembly one for renaming Sindh , new name should be Muhajir Sindh. Second resolution should be for Muhajir province as 20 million Muhajirs have no province. Karachi where Muhajir dominates generates about 70% of Pakistani revenue. I hope 'Insaf will be for everyone not just for politics.

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Haripuri

Mar 21, 2014 11:39pm

@edwardian: I think that's a very unfair thing to say. I'm no ANP supporter but at least they made good steps in trying to curb the militant fanaticism in the province laid down by our army and the US by making the people more aware of their identity. Before 2008 ANP were the first to speak out against drone strikes and took up the cause for secularism. This Hazara province (coming from a Hazerawal) is a drama made by rich people who want more control of the wealth and power in their areas. It has nothing to do with ethnicity or identity; only some members of masses are gullible enough to believe that. Almost 70% of Hazara Divison can speak or understands Pakhto. Gohar Ayub, Baba Haider Zaman etc are opportunists looking to ride this trend for their own gains since they've become pretty much politically invalid. Only place it makes sense to have more provinces is Punjab because it is too big, heavily populated and the people in South Punjab need easier access to an administrative center.

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khan

Mar 21, 2014 11:45pm

Giving away the power isnt easy at all! Another medal earned by PTI! We trust you IK. Keep going!

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Jonayd

Mar 22, 2014 12:02am

Pakistan should have at least 10 or 12 provinces, created along administrative lines for better government and facilities for the common people. Ask any one from D.I Khan, Bhawalpur or Multan how they feel when they have to go to Lahore to deal with the provincial government. It is just too far away. Pakistanis need to learn to be less emotional, be objective and see what works best for them, the masses. Punjab should be divided into 2-3 parts, Sindh at least 2 or 3 (Make Karachi a province, name it Kolachi, Bhambore or Deebal and Karachi City can be its capital). Similarly Baluchistan should be divided into 4 parts, as or when the federation can take control of that part of Pakistan. Remember these are just lines on a map, we should think about what will make life easier for us, our families and the next generation. There should be no big or small provinces but equal parts of Pakistan with equal sharing of resources.

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hasan

Mar 22, 2014 02:58am

I am a supporter of PTI however I want no one to create provinces on discriminatory criteria? I would rather prefer to recreate provincial boundaries representing as many languages in each one of them as possible and then naming them based on anything other then color, cast, language, tribe, etc. -- may be call them Eastern Province, Western province, Northern Province, etc.

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Aysha

Mar 22, 2014 03:00am

@raza: hazara isnt a language

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Awan

Mar 22, 2014 04:08am

I think rather than Hazara province make a New Province by Cutting Upper Punjab and Lower KPK and name it Hazara-Potohar Province and this is one of the best solutions. Punjab is huge and it needs division as well. Ask any person of Potohar and he will agree with this notion that Hazara-Potohar province is a viable solution. In my view Since People in Attock, Pindi, Taxila and upto Chakwal speak the same dialects related to Punjabi that span Hazara regions as well so Administratively this region should be transformed into a new administrative unit. Hazara Potohar Province could span Hazara region and it could include whole of Potohar along with Mianwali and Khushab region as well and this will be one of the best admnistrative units. Also Islamabad was the part of the Potohar in the past and new Capital of Pakistan could be transferred towards the center of Pakistan and current Islamabad could be the new capital of the new Hazara-Potohar Province.

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j k sinha

Mar 22, 2014 06:23am

@raza: In democratic Pakistan Hazaras must have a separate province so that this highly educated, intelligent ans peace loving people are allowed to contribute towards peace, harmony and development of Pakistan. Hope my comments will not be censored..j k sinha Hyderabad, India

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Ali

Mar 22, 2014 07:03am

Bad timing PTI!

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Adil Uddin

Mar 22, 2014 07:32am

@Babar Khan and Fahad: Your own Altaf Bhai stopped talking about Sindh 1 and Sindh 2 or Muhajir province quite recently. So why should PTI step in and eventually get blamed for igniting fights between Sindhis and Urdu Speakings? Plus Hazara and Seraiki regions suffer from lack of developments, can you say the same for the city of Karachi given the demographics, diversity and liberalism in the city? And before you label me with any title, just to let you know that I also belong to an Urdu Speaking background, my grandparents had also migrated to Karachi from India and my parents have spent their childhood and teenage in Karachi, plus majority of my relatives continue to live there, so they know about MQM's dramas and tactics.

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Fawad

Mar 22, 2014 07:36am

Good News.

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sheikh

Mar 22, 2014 09:20am

@Babar Khan: Sir, PPP and MQM are in coalition govt in Sind. If they wanted new provinces in Sind, it would have happened already. What is the PTI to do in Sind with their 3 seats. Lol.

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Ras

Mar 22, 2014 10:50am

This is in fact a good step by KP government.

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Sobha Bahawalpur

Mar 22, 2014 12:25pm

@Babar Khan: your comments are biased dear.try to thnk for peoples not for languages

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Sardar M. Tayyab Haider Khan

Mar 22, 2014 03:56pm

With the objective of easing administrative affairs this is a very appreciable action taken be ruling party of KPK Pakisan Tahreek e insaf... This is a real picture of " They done what They Said" Stay blesses..

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muhammad

Mar 22, 2014 06:00pm

@Adil Uddin : Blaming MQM for every ill will not resolve any issue however your comments also consolidated one thing that Karachi belongs to MQM and since Karachi belongs to MQM it is their duty to raise the voice for separate province for their voters it is democracy my dear. As regards, lack of development it is the result of bad selection / choice of representatives by the people of that area Karachiite has nothing to do with it why Karachiites suffer due to criminal voting trends of other areas of Pakistan espacially backward areas of Pakistan

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kirther

Mar 23, 2014 01:13am

This should also happen in Sind, specially with the growing population management is becoming a major issue.

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Kashif

Mar 24, 2014 08:17pm

@Babar Khan: do you even know the meaning of Mohajir ??? Atleast two generations have born in Pakistan and you still want to be called Mohajir?? All those people who migrated to the other parts of the country other than Karachi are now locals but those in Karachi still wants to be Mohajir..Sounds strange to me, playing in the hands of Political mafia...

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