DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The Dera Seraiki Party (DSP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Thursday opposed the passage of a resolution calling for the Seraiki province without including Dera Ismail Khan and Tank.
Leaders of both the parties organised a protest against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Haq Nawaz Park. They held placards and banners inscribed with slogans for inclusion of the two districts in the creation of a Seraiki province.
Javed Shah Sharazi, Chairman of DSP, told The Express Tribune “we oppose the resolution and it will be only acceptable to us if it is according to the census conducted by Pak Army in 1981.”
He said that the region, Dera Ismail Khan and Tank consists of Seraiki people, who have their own distinctive language, culture and history. Sharazi further criticised the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, saying people living in the southern parts of the province have been deprived of their rights.
President of the party, Muhammad Aslam Kala Wala told The Express Tribune, “the Viceroy of Indian sub-continent, Lord Curzon separated Dera Ismail Khan Division from Punjab in 1901 and made it a part of the then NWFP.”
He further said that their party has marked November 9 as a black day every year ever since and have burnt effigies of Lord Curzon to vent their anger against his decision of separating DI Khan from the Seraiki region.
“The party still pays tribute to those 13 Seraiki Hindus of the district who died on the same day during a protest against the viceroy’s decision,” he added.
He vowed to continue their agitation till the fulfillment of their demand.
Tariq Qureshi, the DI Khan Division in-charge of MQM said that the PPP should include its demands in the resolution to make it comprehensive in giving equal representation to people living in the Seraiki belt.
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First of all provinces should not be made on ethnic basis. If they are to be made they should rather be made on administrative bases. However if a Seraiki province is made then Dera Ismail Khan and Tank should be included in it as both the districts have a majority Seraiki speaking population. A referendum will make the situation clear. Either there should be no Seraiki province but if there is to be one then Dera Ismail Khan and Tank should be an essential part of it.
if people ask for an ethnicity based separation of dera and tank, then dera and tank have a very big proportion of pashtuns and baloch too. muhajirs have came from india so please don't tell us, locals i mean, whom to join and whom not to. infact dera ghazi khan and dera ismail khan are baloch cities and not seraiki cities, hence the names dera murad jamali, dera bugti, dera ismail, dera ghazi. if you still want a separate province for administration, that could be made of dera ismail dera ghazi, tank and mianwali..... not with that of south punjab.
Please MQM spare rest of Pakistan with Your Racist Agenda. Also ET have given the map of the appropriate Province and for their information Tank and Dera Ismail Khan are in KPK so give the appropriate mapping in this regard. MQM wants to establish racist states across Pakistan and for the information of MQM Tank is half Pakhtoon and Dera Ismail Is Half Pakhtoon too and it is like removing two Important districts from KPK for their own agenda of Hatred. MQM should refrain from this type of Politics. MQM have no say in KPK so they should not be able to decide what will remain in KPK and what will not. MQM should remain in Karachi and KPK decision makers are alive and well.
At the time of partition OLD NWFP was ruled by the congress, Bacha Khan and Dr Khan were the rulers..It was only NWFP Government who wanted referendum to Join Pakistan or India. It was DI Khan and Hazara who 100% voted for Pakistan. Now when the reward time comes DI Khan and Hazara is Ignored. What a shame.