In proposed district: Jirga opposes inclusion of lower Tanawal

Say the proposal is against the will of the people; warn of protests.

ABBOTABAD:

A grand jirga of former nazims, councillors and notables of six union councils of lower Tanawal has vowed to resist the inclusion of lower Tanawal in the proposed Tanawal District.

Members of the jirga, which was held at Phulan de Bandi village of union council Pawa, expressed concern over the inclusion of six union councils of Abbottabad in the proposed district. They said that annexing lower Tanawal with Tanawal District will burden the local population with a host of problems and additional expenditures. They said that the distance between the union councils of lower Tanawal and their district headquarter Abbottabad is 12km; however, if the government goes ahead with its plan to create Tanawal District and declare Lassan Nawab as the district headquarter, the people of lower Tanawal will have to cover a distance of 80km.

The members said that if former MNA Nawabzada Salaud Din, who is spearheading the movement, wants to create Tanawal District “to regain his political domain of the former princely state, he must do it by excluding the union councils of Abbottabad”. They also warned that if the government ever tried to go against the will of the people, they will take to the streets and launch a protest movement.

On the occasion, a steering committee comprising Peer Khan Tanoli, Abdullah Khan Tanoli, Qazi Ziaud Din, Malik Sarwar was also formed. The committee has decided to hold protest meeting in all union councils of lower Tanawal to mobilise the people against the creation of Tanawal District.

As per the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government’s plan, Tanwal District is to comprise upper Tanawal from Mansehra District and lower Tanawal from Abbottabad and Haripur districts.

During a recent visit to Mansehra, K-P Information Minister Mian Iftikhar endorsed the proposed creation of Tanawal District and asked the resident of Tanwal to come up with a consensus on the proposal. The political leaders from the area held pro and contra meetings for the proposal in different parts of the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.