PESHAWAR, Jan 26: The statement of Law Minister Malik Zafar Azam about the renaming of the NWFP as Pukhtunistan has been challenged in the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

In a writ petition filed on Friday, Mohibur Rehman, a citizen prayed to the court to declare the statement of the provincial minister as illegal, void and without lawful authority.

He also asked the court to restrain Mr Azam and the provincial government from issuing any such statement in future.

The petitioner said he respected the Pukhtuns from the core of his heart, but was absolutely against discrimination on the basis of language, colour and creed “which are against the Islamic philosophy of life”.

He said Mr Azam had claimed that the NWFP chief minister could change the name of the province after the passage of a resolution by the provincial assembly.

He also quoted the minister as saying that the constitution, law and the concurrent list did not restrain the chief minister from renaming the province.

He said the chief minister was on record to have said that he would change the name of the province in a few days time.