Pakistan

Protestors block Karakoram highway

Express April 14, 2010

ABOTTABAD: Charged protestors blocked the Karakoram Highway on Wednesday amid a complete shutterdown and wheel jam strike in Abbottabad and other parts of Hazara divison.

Protestors came out on the roads early Wednesday morning in Abbotabad, Mansehra and Haripur to protest against the renaming of NWFP to Khyber Pakhtunkha.

The traders observed a complete strike and all bazaars, markets and shops remained closed. All government and private offices and banks were also closed. The district administration had earlier closed educational institutions for an indefinite period.

A large number of police personnel are present in the city to control the law and order situation.

The DIG and DCO of Abbottabad held negotiations with the protestors late Tuesday night. No real breakthrough was made with protestors, who demanded that Hazara be declared a separate province.

COMMENTS (27)

abdul amin amiry kiu | 14 years ago | Reply This whole play is been played by PML(N) against ANP.therefore ANP should cinsider in this issue.it is the responsibility of Govt to give protection to civilians.nothing happen if name is being cganged.We have to focus on the development and progress of our dear homeland PAKISTAN.We must be united to fight against our common enemy,terrirism and poverty.thanks

abdul amiry | 14 years ago | Reply this is realy a pain giving incident.this issue may be solved through academic debate and diologue.govt should not use force. protest may be peacefull.such issues take time to be settled.

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Umer | 14 years ago | Reply HAZARA Zindabad PAKISTAN Paindabad

Umer | 14 years ago | Reply Provincial governtment is responssible for this bloodshed in Hazara and we want high ups to take serious action against the police officials involved in this act of firing on the innocent and unarmed protesters

Hira | 14 years ago | Reply We should take step for our right and at this time Hazrawal are protesting for their right.For this purpose in Hazara people did and doing strike ,protest for their right. Hazarawal just want their right and they love peace and want to see back peace in their areas.

Hira | 14 years ago | Reply Salam Pakistan.I am hazarawal and at this time we hazarawal are very very upset because our identity has snatched by ANP.Every one knows that IDENTITY is the base of each thing,and without identity no one can live.New name Khyber Pakhtoonkha was the agenda of ANP. Sooba Hazara bn k rhe ga

hazim noohani | 14 years ago | Reply in my point of view, its not the issue of changing name of a province but every party now looking to collect the votes because they don't have any other reason or they did not do any thing for the peoples of HAZARA in past (PMLQ), as in this issue other parties are also trying to get benefit and demanding for new province also in sindh for example. to create new province and break sindh into pieces is their dream...

Muhammad Umer Ashfaq | 14 years ago | Reply i think the government should pay the attention towards these ongoing protests in the way it is required and, ANP and MULLIM LEAGUE (Q) should stop thier controversies by talking about the new provinces

FARHAN KHAN SWATI | 14 years ago | Reply ANP should respect the emotions of hazara's people.ANP is not a political party they only represents the people across the attock bridge.Chief justice should notice about what happened in Hazara .why he is silent? SOOBA HAZARA ZINDABAD

Zeeshan Ali | 14 years ago | Reply If every buddy start demanding making their province then be ready we're gonna have out of 100 provinces...atleast government should have asked the society people before naming the province. Hazara people should only protest against the name e.g. PAKHTOONKHAW instead of demanding of new province.

Muhammad Farooq | 14 years ago | Reply If ANP's demand for naming of province as Pkhtoonkhawah is right then Hazara name is also right.

Abdul Rehman | 14 years ago | Reply TheViolence was not created by people, provincial government and the police administration is responsible for all this

Sajjad Ur Rehman | 14 years ago | Reply When a decision is imposed on someone then the result is what we see in Hazara. Now imagine a Hazara Province followed by a Seraki province and then going for a Malakand province. I am not agaist smaller provinces but not on base of cast or sect, rather because of ease of adminitration for benefit of Public. The NWFP govt showed immaturity and undue haste in politisizing a non issue. This could have been handled in a more mature way. They could have announced a competition for a new name maybe even a new offical seal and flag of the province. our future generation, the children of this province should have been given this chance to choose the name. However this was not to be. I still believe this can happen if the govt wants it. May Allah give them the baseerat to do it.

nauman inqlabi | 14 years ago | Reply I think its bad events have been occured due to nigligence of ANP & PML(N). these two parties are responsible of all that matter. It is required to establish more provences. there should be eight provences of pakistan. each provence should be devibed in two parts not only punjab & NWFP.

Zigrawar Khan | 14 years ago | Reply Jeey Pukhtoonkhwa......

Muhammad Ali | 14 years ago | Reply Majority of ANP office bearers are busy in coloring their hate and discrimination towards other non pashtoons in a sophisticated way by dirty politics of blackmailing and hiding the truth. They not only defame the legacy of Bacha khan and show their greedy ambitions towards others right. On other hand Hazara Province movement arise after realizing ANP agenda of hate, discrimnation, considering themself superior and depriving other on linguistic basis. They realy pushed more then half non Phuston papulation of Province to wall by taking their identity. The Hazara movement is led by Sardar Haider Zaman who was EX minister and EX District Nazim posses extra ordinary qualities of loving with poors, standing for other right and straight forward with out political intrests. In his governance tenor he refused to get any salary and other perk & perviligies from government account. Here is fight between believe, faith and hate, discrimination. Let see who will win the dividing ruling class or the belief of saint with other political wolfs.

Imran | 14 years ago | Reply It's the right time for demanding of smaller provinces. This had been in discussion within politicians. Independently they all favor having smaller provinces because that would serve the people better, but it would hurt larger political parties, as it will become harder to win large seats from each province. This will NOT be dividing Pakistan, instead creating more cohesion in society, people demands and votes will gain more power. Hazara has taken the first blood ... and will support smaller provinces. Even ANP wants us to separated from their "PaktunKawa".

imran | 14 years ago | Reply ANP has its own secular philosophy.Their each act must be observed deeply and you would come to know what are they upto. And why in the world would someone shoot at people who want to record their protest.Shame on government and shame on administration of hazara division.

mussarat ahmedzeb | 14 years ago | Reply I am from Swat and my sympathy is with our brothers of hazara. We are one and collectively we have larger issues then decisions of names and provinces. Shame on ANP to try to break our country. May they never succeed.

Saad | 14 years ago | Reply perhaps its no time for provincial division , its time for cohesion

Asaad Qureshi | 14 years ago | Reply Currently according to Islamic Republic of Pakistan's Constitution only a Muslim may become the President of our country. ANP wants this requirement removed.

Azhar | 14 years ago | Reply well its a matter of great concern as Poeple from hazara Suffered alot the government should compansate them...Provisional government should have consulted the people of Hazara About Changing the Name of the province,,,

Bilawal Zohaib | 14 years ago | Reply I must say that people are not on right.Because New name was the demand of Provincial gorvernment.So, it was the duty of NWFP Governmnet that they there must be assurance of all the people who are living in NWFP. I think this problem should be the concern of NWFP Goverment not Fedrel Government.

Z ali | 14 years ago | Reply ANP agenda to win election was to change the name of province and mislead the people of NWFP and came to power and now see what is the next. The previous Govt the agenda was Book and the gave it the name of Holy book and won the election result is in fornt of us. For how long our politicians will play with people to remain in power and make us fool. Now what in hazara ,Q leauge is using this opertunity and making people fool. I think this time people must realise that all politicians are using people of Pakistan for there sake. I wish i was at press confrence of so called Chowdery in Hazara and thrown rotten eggs and tomatos , that today he came to his sake , where was he when he was in power to solve genuie issues. Now time has come to show these few players a lesson.We want basic needs instead making then more powerful. ANP ,now dont have any thing on which they can take stand on.They changed the name and now what?They will spent billion of ruppes on stationary and on motorcar plates , registration books and so on to put new name. I wish GOD given then brain that if they spent this money to improve the ordnary people living.One Dam can be made from this money ,instead wasting on this stupid issue. I request USA that if they give us money then also put stirct check and balance on these stake holders and never trust them blindly. More than 50% donation goes directly to them . ANP also sugested the Pashto Syllabus in schools. i simply ask them to write 1 ----100 in pashto purely or say any table in pashto or write 1/4 in pashtoo. i ask the media anchor to ask them live. How many of ANP leaders childern can read/write pashto. They are gone mad. our education system already is on edge of distrcution rather to improve it they are giving it push to the garve. I suggest all media whether print or electronic to show in real as they say always that they are voice of people of pakistan to bycot the polititions from the programe. people now dont want to see them. they have nothing to say only blaming each and sorry to say our media also using them for there benefits. People want to see now how much media is loyal to People of pakistan.

Asaad Qureshi | 14 years ago | Reply Violence was not created by people, provincial government is responsible for all this. We will not hesitate to sacrifice our lives for our rights. I hope these sacrifices will lead to a good result.

Munir Abbasi | 14 years ago | Reply Please note that Hazara is not just a "city" as mentioned in the caption of the picture. and this is not the second day of strike. All this protest started last monday. Abbottabad City observed a complete wheel-jam strike on monday April 5, 2010. Then on APril 7 2010 there was a shutter-down strike. Unfortunately, since both of these strikes were peaceful, they did not get their due share of coverage on television/print media. Now that people have learnt that human sacrifice is necessary for attracting media towards their sufferings, I congratulate all on this round the clock coverage of a fire fuelled by politicians from Gujrat. We are proud of Pakistani Media.

Rana Tahir Shahbaz | 14 years ago | Reply There is a need of peaceful protest rather then to make it complicated as alreadsy Pakistan is facing a crucial situation due to Taliban's conflict.

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