Protest demo: Villagers demand revision of Tanawal District boundaries
Say inclusion of their areas in the district will pose economic, administrative problems.
HARIPUR:
Villagers of Bait Gali Union Council staged a protest demonstration on Wednesday against inclusion of their areas into the proposed Tanawal District without their consent.
The villagers took to the streets chanting slogans against the Awami National Party (ANP) government and blocked the Grand Trunk Road for sometime before entering into negotiations with Assistant Coordination Officer (ACO) Haripur Khyzer Hayat Khan.
They said that if the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government was sincere in fulfilling the demands of people of Upper Tanawal, it should create Tanawal District comprising the union councils that already existed in Upper Tanawal and those areas whose people agree with the decision. The villagers said that joining their areas with the proposed district would not only burden them economically but also expose them to administrative problems which were being resolved from their existing district headquarters in Haripur. They warned of widespread protests if the government failed to revise the plan.
The ACO assured them of bringing the matter to the notice of higher authorities.
The villagers also accused the provincial government of “sowing the seeds of hatred among the people of Hazara” as revenge for their demand of creation of Hazara province. They said that the ANP leadership had divided the people of Hazara by creating groups within media persons, by alluring the people of Kohistan and Battagram in the name of Abasin Division and now they were involved in petty politics of turning the people of Upper and Lower Tanwal against each other.
In a public meeting this July, K-P Chief Minister announced the creation of Tanawal District in Hazara Division, following the demands of residents of over seven union councils of Upper Tanawal area in Mansehra District. The provincial government issued a notification seeking the consent of former nazims, naib nazims and notables of different union councils of Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra districts for becoming part of the proposed district.
According to the initial plan, seven union councils of Haripur District situated across and along the sides of Tarbela Lake were merged into the new district. However, residents of these union councils resisted the move.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 27th, 2012.
Villagers of Bait Gali Union Council staged a protest demonstration on Wednesday against inclusion of their areas into the proposed Tanawal District without their consent.
The villagers took to the streets chanting slogans against the Awami National Party (ANP) government and blocked the Grand Trunk Road for sometime before entering into negotiations with Assistant Coordination Officer (ACO) Haripur Khyzer Hayat Khan.
They said that if the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government was sincere in fulfilling the demands of people of Upper Tanawal, it should create Tanawal District comprising the union councils that already existed in Upper Tanawal and those areas whose people agree with the decision. The villagers said that joining their areas with the proposed district would not only burden them economically but also expose them to administrative problems which were being resolved from their existing district headquarters in Haripur. They warned of widespread protests if the government failed to revise the plan.
The ACO assured them of bringing the matter to the notice of higher authorities.
The villagers also accused the provincial government of “sowing the seeds of hatred among the people of Hazara” as revenge for their demand of creation of Hazara province. They said that the ANP leadership had divided the people of Hazara by creating groups within media persons, by alluring the people of Kohistan and Battagram in the name of Abasin Division and now they were involved in petty politics of turning the people of Upper and Lower Tanwal against each other.
In a public meeting this July, K-P Chief Minister announced the creation of Tanawal District in Hazara Division, following the demands of residents of over seven union councils of Upper Tanawal area in Mansehra District. The provincial government issued a notification seeking the consent of former nazims, naib nazims and notables of different union councils of Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra districts for becoming part of the proposed district.
According to the initial plan, seven union councils of Haripur District situated across and along the sides of Tarbela Lake were merged into the new district. However, residents of these union councils resisted the move.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 27th, 2012.