The proposal to create a separate Hazara province resurfaced in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Sunday after Provincial Minister Akbar Ayub once again advocated the idea, prompting strong opposition from the Awami National Party (ANP).

During the assembly session, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati said the House had already passed a formal resolution in support of creating a Hazara province.

However, ANP MPA Nisar Baz Khan strongly objected to the statement, arguing that the resolution did not reflect his party’s position. 

He said the resolution had been tabled and passed in the absence of ANP members, claiming that only around 15 lawmakers were present in the House at the time.

Nisar Baz Khan reiterated that the ANP firmly opposed any division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, describing Hazara Division as an integral historical part of the province.

“Our principled stance is that Hazara Division is a historic part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and we will not allow the province to be divided,” he told the assembly.