Hazara elected reps urged to drum up support for province creation

ABBOTTABAD/MANSEHRA: Soba Hazara Tehrik head Sardar Haider Zaman on Tuesday urged the elected representatives from Hazara to move a resolution in the assemblies seeking the status of a province for the division or else people would vote them out in the next general elections.

He was addressing a gathering held in connection with the 6th death anniversary of the people, who were killed in a firing incident on April 12, 2010. Haider Zaman criticised the elected representatives from Hazara division particularly the ones belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

“The PTI and PML-N lawmakers have hoodwinked their constituents as they had pledged during the election campaign to work to give Hazara the status of a province after returning to the assemblies,” he added.  

He said his party would stage protests if the lawmakers from Hazara didn’t heed his demand.  He also criticised Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf for leaving the Tehrik and joining the PML-N with the promise that he would seek the support of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to get Hazara declared a province.

Talking about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, he said his party would not allow anyone to change its route.Meanwhile, the lawyers stayed away from the court proceedings and political parties and traders held rallies as the 6th anniversary of Abbottabad killings was observed in Mansehra.

The traders also observed symbolic shutter down in the morning. “We strongly condemn attitude of successive governments for not lodging the first information (FIR) of those killed in the police firing,” Munir Hussain Lughmani, the president of District Bar Association, said while speaking at the meeting held in connection with the 6th anniversary of Abbottabad killings.