Workers of Tehreek-e-Suba Hazara take out a motorcycle rally in Abbottabad. PHOTO: ONLINE
Speaking to the media, the minister said people of Hazara demand separation from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on administrative grounds, adding the sacrifices of those who laid their lives for the movement will not go in vain.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader has also spearheaded the Suba Hazara Tehreek (SHT)—the movement advocating a separate province for the residents of Hazara Division. SHT is a splinter group of Hazara Qaumi Mahaz, the umbrella front of different parties striving for the common cause.
Yusaf said the ruthless murder of protesting activists on April 12, 2010 only revitalised the campaign that has gained momentum over time. He said memorials will be held in different parts of the country to mark the fifth anniversary of the tragic incident.
The Mansehra MNA said their struggle will continue until the government agrees upon carving Hazara out of K-P. “I assure all Hazarawals that PML-N is the only party that can transform their dreams into reality,” he said, adding lawmakers from the region will soon present a framework before Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Yusaf said Quran khwani will be held in Karachi, Islamabad and Abbottabad while a national conference has been put together at Thakra Stadium, Mansehra which people from all walks of life will attend on Sunday (today).
On the other hand, Tehreek-e-Suba Hazara led by veteran political activist Baba Haider Zaman will also arrange different programmes in Abbottabad to mark the fifth anniversary of those who died in the 2010 shootings. Traders and transporters will also observe a strike.
Wounds still fresh
On April 12, 2010, thousands had taken to the streets in Abbottabad against renaming the then North West Frontier Province to K-P. In an attempt to silence the protesters, police opened indiscriminate fire, killing seven and injuring over 200.
The heavy-handedness sparked a ripple effect across Hazara; the paralysis gripped the division and Gilgit-Baltistan for three days. The incident bred political manifestations for the age-old demand as many mainstream leaders across political platforms joined the struggle hand-in-hand with Zaman, who became the leading voice advocating the rights of his people. Parties rallied support for the cause during the 2013 general elections and a formal resolution was also passed for the creation of Hazara province by the K-P Assembly last year.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2015.
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