Stance of the Mainstream Political Parties towards the Demand of Hazara Province

Abstract

People of Hazara division are aware of their separate identity; therefore, after independence demand to establish Hazara Province was articulated by different groups of intellectuals, lawyers and political activists on many occasions. Hazara Qoumi Mahaz established in 1980s that later on included in its objectives the establishment of Hazara Province in 1992 and in the same year elected representatives from Hazara Division submitted resolution for the formation of Hazara Province in NWFP assembly. The present movement for Hazara Province got momentum after renaming of NWFP as KP under 18th Constitutional Amendment which was not accepted in Hazara Division and its leadership again revived Hazara Province Movement which was supported by all political parties and its central and regional leaderships. After the incident of April 12, 2010 at Abbottabad that took precious lives of ten people, the wave of separate provinces spread in other provinces of Pakistan.