ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Chairman of the Tehreek-e-Suba Hazara Sardar Muhammad Yousuf has said that the renewed debate on the creation of new provinces is fully supported by the Hazara province movement, adding that Hazara should be made a province first.
He expressed these views while addressing a press conference at the Islamabad Press Club along with Senator Talha Mahmood, Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Babar Nawaz, Professor Sajjad Qamar, assembly members Syeda Sonia Shah and Shazia Jadoon. Prince Fazal Haq, Qari Mehboobur Rehman, Sardar Syed Ghulam, Malik Sajjad Awan and Sardar Zahid Mannan from Kohistan were also present on the occasion.
Sardar Muhammad Yousuf said the discussion on new provinces had started now, but the people of Hazara had been running the movement for a Hazara province for the last 16 years. He said that in April 2010, seven sons of Hazara laid down their lives and laid the foundation of the Hazara province movement.
He said Sardar Shahjehan Yousuf had presented an amendment in the National Assembly at that time. He added that Hazara was the only region whose provincial assembly had passed resolutions for a Hazara province three times.
Sardar Yousuf said the Hazara province bill was presented in the National Assembly by Murtaza Javed Abbasi and Dr Sajjad Awan, and members of the Pakistan Muslim League had signed it. Similarly, he said, Senator Talha Mahmood had presented the Hazara province bill in the Senate.
The federal minister said the movement was demanding a province on administrative grounds. He said 17 tribes lived in Hazara and different languages were spoken there.
He said the heads of all national political parties had visited Hazara and supported the demand for a Hazara province. These parties, he said, included the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Pakistan Muslim League-Q and other parties.
Sardar Yousuf said the need of the hour was to pay attention to the public demand and immediately move the process forward.
Speaking on the occasion, Senator Talha Mahmood said he fully supported Mohsin Naqvi’s stance. He said if the country had to be given progress and stability, Hazara province and new provinces wherever needed should be created immediately. He said they endorsed every point made by Mohsin Naqvi.
Murtaza Javed Abbasi said Hazara division should be made a separate province, adding that the struggle had been continuing for 16 years. He said that if the debate had now started, they supported it, as the people of Hazara had rendered sacrifices.
He said the discussion on provinces had begun from Hazara. He added that they supported democracy and that the Pakistan founded by Quaid-e-Azam was a democratic Pakistan, with no other system being workable.
Abbasi said they had presented the Hazara province bill in the National Assembly in 2021, and it was supported at the time by then opposition leader Mian Shehbaz Sharif, the PML-N, PPP, JUI and the independent group.
Member National Assembly Babar Nawaz said the proposed province would be self-reliant. He said Hazara had immense resources and these would not only help develop Hazara but also strengthen the federation.
Syeda Sonia Shah said women were the vanguard of the movement.
Central Coordinator Professor Sajjad Qamar said they fully supported Mohsin Naqvi’s stance, adding that he had taken forward the position of the Hazara province movement.
It was announced that a meeting of the senior leadership of the Tehreek-e-Suba Hazara would be held tomorrow to decide the future course of action. The movement, the leaders said, would continue without interruption.
