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.